The whispering mountain
by riddlefiddleai
Summary: The ghost hunt team visits a secluded village on a snowy mountain, there bodies vanish and a very ancient curse awakes underneath their feet. Mai faces her biggest fears and Naru a potential rival. part of a ghost hunt nature trilogy series,not a sequel!
1. Snow and Invitation

My 3rd ghost hunt fan-fic, part of a ghost hunts trilogy nature series. Though it is part of a trilogy series, it is not a sequel, I hate sequels

Characters:

Mai Taniyama (duh)

Narumi Kazuya (duh)

Hara Masako

Bou-san (Houshou Takigawa) for some reason, I hate his name as it is impossible to remember

Ayako

John

Yasuhara-san

Lin Kojou

And now let's start the story

The whispering mountain

Prologue

"Isn't this bad?" the man asked the big, gruff man who squatted at the edge of the deep black hole. The man was a detective and he was staring hard into the hole, torchlight in his hand and handkerchief to his nose and mouth.

"I have nothing to say," the detective said, his words came out muffled because of the handkerchief. He stood up and switch off the torchlight before wiping his sweaty fore head and hands.

The man was from a nearby village, he was a mountain tribesman. This was the first time the detective had seen villagers like this men. They lived a totally technology free life, it was as if they were people from 100 of years ago.

"Wait, before we move on, when did this start?" the detective asked. The man shook his head. "The elder woman said that this had happened for centuries..."

The detective sighed, "Then, why only inform us now." He said, noticing the next hole and squatting down again. The man did not speak and the detective sighed squatting over the hole. This was a weird village. Smacked right in the middle of a secluded mountain, with no other towns surrounding it and miles away from civilisation. The detective did not like it one bit.

He switched on the torchlight and stared at the hole. "It is all very strange," he whispered.

"This is your cemetery, right?" the detective said standing up and the man nodded. Surrounding them were silver head stones that gleamed in the sunlight. The detective grimaced at the human skulls placed above each head stone.

"So, what do you think detective?" the man asked. The detective wiped his fore head and with a shivering and nervous voice he spoke, "I told you, I don't know." He said.

"After all," he continued, "dead bodies can't just disappear on their own...can they?"

The cicadas that surrounded the trees began to chirp loudly and the detective gulped. Their chirps got louder and louder, the detective didn't like it one bit.

"It is a warning, then," the man from the village whispered, "The elder woman was right," he said, "The curse is true."

The whispering mountain

File 1#

Snow and invitation

"Mai, tea." Naru demanded when Mai entered the small office located in Shibuya district. Mai glared at the boy who sat on one of his ugly green sofa. He was reading an extremely thick book, it wasn't unusual. His unusually expressionless face was screwed up in irritation. "Tea!" he demanded again as Mai hung up her winter coat.

"Will you wait for a minute," Mai said to him, getting annoyed too. Naru clicked his fingers, "Tea," he demanded. "I am not a waitress!" Mai shouted at him.

"I am paying you." Naru said and Mai stormed towards the kitchen. She found the tea leaves and began preparing his stupid tea. I hope his bladder burst, Mai thought to herself and hurried to boil the water.

The doors of the office opened again and a tall Chinese man walked through the doll way. "Lin-san," Mai greeted. The tall Chinese man turned to her and nodded before hanging his coat. "You're late," Naru said. Lin bowed, "I'm sorry."

Mai arrived with the tea and slammed it down on the table. "Here you go you arrogant thing," she said. Naru ignored her picked up the tea and drank it. "Too hot," he commented, placing it down the table and looking at the book. It took every self-control she had not to hit him with her fist.

The doors opened again and Bou-san, Ayako and John entered the room. They were covered in snow and Bou-san was laughing. "Man, that was one hell of a snow storm," he said, taking off his coat and hanging it on the hook.

John and Ayako followed suit. "Weill, I hope it'll go away soon, the cold is not good for my beautiful skin." Ayako said.

"Don't you mean wrinkled skin," Masako's voice rang out behind the door and Ayako trembled in anger.

"Is this a gathering place for all of you?" Naru said, looking very annoyed.

"Narumi," Lin-san said to him and Naru looked up. Mai gasped. "Masako...is that...behind you..." Mai whispered.

Masako nodded. "We have a guest," she said, "And a case."

****************************************************************************************************************************

"That's the famous detective we're always seeing on the news!" Mai exclaimed and the detective behind Masako grinned sheepishly. "Nah, nah, I am not that smart," he said.

"If you're not smart, than the rest of us are without brains," Ayako commented the detective laughed again before sipping the tea. He turned serious and faced Naru. "I have heard of you and your team, Kazuya-chan," he said.

Naru's eye brows twitched, "Chan?" he said and the ghost hunt team laughs.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," the detective said rubbing his balding head.

He shifted his spectacles, "Kazuya-san, you dealt with many supernatural cases before, am I right," he said and Naru nodded. "Well, I'm sorry, but could you accept my proposal," he said, "On behalf of the police force."

"What about your supernatural division," Naru said and the detective waved his hand, "No good, they do not know what is going on and it would seem they have another case." He said. Naru sighed, "What is it about?" he said and the detective turned solemn immediately.

"A few days back I was called to a small village located at the north tip of Kyoto itself, there, there was a secluded mountain and there was a village over there," he said, "It is a very weird village, the villagers there lived like the Japanese people centuries ago, if I had to describe them they are very ancient people. Anyway, when I was there I had to investigate a grave, apparently the people there are greatly troubled...I think they are too, because such a proud race would not ask help from outsiders, but they did."

"Get to the point," Naru said, and the detective winced.

Mai sighed; Naru never had patience for cases that did not interest him.

"The graves were empty...all of them, the bodies gone, the graves empty, and all 370 dead people, all gone."

Masako snorted and Mai turned annoyed. "There is only one explanation for that," she said, "Grave robbers." The detective smiled, "You see, Hara-chan, I thought of that too, but there was something bugging me,' he said, 'The villagers only discovered that the bodies were missing after they dug the graves opened."

There was a tensed silence. Mai tried to process the information, "Wait...that would mean..." Mai whispered, "Yes, how could grave robbers have dug the bodies out...when the soil is still over the dead bodies..."

"Simple," Masako said, getting irritated, "They dug out the dead bodies and place the soil back into the hole."

The detective was silent for a while and he clasp both hands tightly together and placed them on his face. His shifted and his glasses gleamed. It made him look very scary. "How can any human..." he whispered, "do it in one night."

Naru sipped his cup of tea and he stood up.

"We accept." He said, "Please bring us there."

The detective smiled, "By the way because of the difficulty of this case, I hired a few other teams." He said. Mai let out a huge sigh. She nudges Bou-san, "I sense déjà-vu all over again."

Bou-san nodded, "yes like that vampire's mansion that we visited last time." He said. (Ghost hunt episode 18 to 21)

Mai sighed as she watches Naru unload his huge bulk of electronic devices.

Here they go again.

Somehow, she did not have a good feeling about this case.

**********************************************************************************************************************

The snow winds howled through the snowy mountains. The elder woman sat inside her hut. Her eyes closed. She had been blind for many years but now she could see it. The light candle fires flickered around her, illuminating their orange light on her wrinkled face. Incensed smoked around her and the elder woman took a deep breath.

"They are coming," she croaked, her voice old and ancient. The winds howled loudly outside her hut and the cloak that hung at the entrance of the hut blew inwards. The old woman opened her eyes. Her eyes were colourless and white. Her eyes widened. She could see, she could see it. The figure standing outside her door.

"Come in," she whispered.

The figure swept across the room, the candles died out and smoke filled the air.

Than the old woman saw no more.

She collapses on the ground...

And took her last breath.


	2. Maki Nishimura

This chapter is solely for introducing the other teams that have set out to solve the mystery and to introduce Naru's rival. Also it elaborated the mystery a little bit more...

So let's get started : ) I assure you, everything would not be what it seems to be, my favourite quote. If you're expecting simple and easy plot outcomes, and can't take complicated plot outcomes don't read this fan-fic.

The whispering mountain

File 2#

Maki Nishimura

Mai winced as the cold wind cut across the mountains. She faltered backwards and slammed into Naru who caught her. "Walk straight!" he demanded, but clasped her shoulders tightly and pushed her forward leading her.

Mai half smiled and walked, Naru pushing her forcefully but gently from behind.

"I see the hut!" Yasuhara-san's voice sounded ahead of them. "Finally!" Bou-san shouted and with a sudden burst of energy the 25 year old ran past Mai and Naru towards the hut. "Stop running likes a little kid!" Ayako shouted, chasing after the monk.

"Look who's talking," Masako snorted, walking quicker and came up beside Mai and Naru. She glared at Mai and Naru and placed her kimono on her sleeves. "You two look pretty close." She said.

Naru released Mai and walked ahead of them. Mai fell backwards and landed in the snow. "Naru!" she shouted, "Why you..." she whispered, picking herself up from the snow and dusting herself. She looked at the lighted hut and suddenly she wanted to get in there fast. It looked warm.

"What an interesting bunch," the detective said coming up behind them, "Now, move on," he told the both girls, "We got a case to solve."

Mai entered the hut 5 minutes later, pulling Masako who was walking with great difficulty. "Next time," she told the stubborn girl, "Wear something normal, not a kimono."

Masako's reply was a snort. It reminded Mai of pigs. She didn't tell Masako that, of course.

Warmth greeted them and so did the orange light. There was warmth! There was light! There was fire! Mai almost cried out in joy. The second thing she saw were weird orange tanned people who wore animal skins and animal bones. Around their necks were feathered necklaces. They all stood stone faced in front of the hut itself.

"Whoa," she said and turned realising that there was a boy beside her who said the same thing as well. Before her was the most girlish looking boy she had ever laid her eyes upon, but never the less if this was a Miss Beauty world competition, this guy could win. His eyes lit up when he saw Mai and he held out his hand to Mai, "Good to meet you, beautiful lady," he said.

"What!?" she said. His blue eyes boring into hers, his fair white skin and dirty brown hair. He looked Asian somehow but also American. "Are you a mix?" Mai asked and the boy flipped his fringe and lifted his head. "I am, I look beautiful, right."

Mai raised her eye brows. "What?" she said. "John Brown, I came from America one year ago I came to Japan, it's a beautiful country isn't it?" he said. He held out his hand. "Your name beautiful lady?" he touches Mai and Mai sighed. This guy, he was an ego maniac. "Mai, Mai Taniyama," she said. the guy, John propped his hand to Masako, "And you even more beautiful lady," he asked. Masako turned away, snorting and walked towards the others who settled on one of the seats along the long table set up in the hut itself. Mai observes that there were 14 other people sited along this other table.

"How many people were requested by the police?" Mai whispered. "Mai-chan, your part of the investigation?" John asked. Mai twitch. "Who gave you permission to use my real name," she said to him and he grinned sheepishly, rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. Mai smiled, "It's alright, and yep, I'm part of the ghost hunt team over there." She said. John frowned. "Ghost hunt?" he said and Mai could see he was a little sceptical. "There are 4 more ghost hunts teams, but the rest are detectives." He said.

"Anyway, Taniyama-san, would you like me to show you to the table?" he said. He was a womanizer. "What are you John?" she asked the boy and he smiled. "Part of a detective officer, I'm an assistant." He said.

"Eh, isn't that great?" Naru's voice sounded behind the both of them and John and Mai jumped. Mai turned, "N...Naru..."Mai said. John looked at Naru then at Mai. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked and Mai hit the boy's head. "I suppose not," John said, he grabs Mai's hand, "Would you, after this case, like to go out on a da-"

"Could you let go of her hand?" Naru said curtly, "Mai," he commanded, "Get to your seat, dinner is starting and the case details."

"Are you her bo-"

"Being a jerk as usual huh John," a voice sounded behind John and John jumped. Mai found herself staring at a boy. The boy had brilliant red hair and wore the most outrageous goggles Mai had ever seen. He wore a black sweater and black shorts. Mai shivered at the sight of the boy's clothes. Wasn't he cold, it was winter for Christ sake?

"Ma-Maki," John said to the boy. Mai did a doubled flip. "A girl!?" she shouted. John laughed, "She gets that a lot, "he said. The girl pulled off her goggles to reveal a pair of brilliant red eyes. She would be very beautiful if it weren't for the goggles she wore. Naru glared at her before pulling Mai. "Please excuse us," he said and pulled Mai towards the table. For some reason, Mai couldn't get John or Maki out of her head.

Naru sat Mai down at the long table and went over to sit beside Lin. They waited for a while and Mai found John and Maki sitting opposite them. Beside John and Maki sat a couple of scary looking brutes, all men and all mean looking with scars, "They are treasure hunters," the detective explained. Beside the mean looking brutes were 4 young adults all dressed in extravagant costumes each wearing makeup. Mai almost laugh at the sight of them.

"Are they really serious?" she muttered and the detective nodded, "Their dress code is a little weird but their famous detective." He said.

Beside the ghost hunt were people who wore matching black out fits and sat stone faced as they waited for the briefing, "Those are ghost hunters like yourselves," he said. Mai noticed Naru staring at them.

The light dimmed and soft ancient music flirted in the air. "Welcome, outsiders," a rasped voice spoke. Mai turned and found herself looking at an elderly man; he wore a white fox skin on his head and greeted the people. "We are honoured to have you here," he said again, "The detective should have already explained to you what is happening in this village, I shall elaborate."

"A few days ago our graves have been hit but something unexplainable, dead bodies have vanished like water vapour evaporating from a pool of water, and just two days ago our Elder woman was killed by an unexplainable force," the old man elaborated.

"How unexplainable?" Naru and Maki both spoke together; they both stared at each other. Mai looked at Maki, this girl, there was something about her that Mai couldn't place.

"Her head was chopped clean off, cleanly," the old man said, "There was no blood though," the old man carried on, "Not a single blood escaped the Elder's body."

Mai felt shivers go up her spine. "That night, it was snowing and the winds were very bad, however one of our fellow servant serving the Elder thought she saw a white lady standing in front of the Elder's room at the time of the murder."

'We never found her," he said.

"Wait you mean she's still out there, old man!" one of the treasure hunters spoke and the old man nodded. There was tensed silence after that. The cold winds outside began to howl and the candles lighting up the hut began to flicker.

"The Elder had spoken of a curse days before the bodies vanished, it happened centuries ago," the old man whispered. Mai gulped, "One day a phoenix deseeded from the havens, the phoenix was big, red, fiery and beautiful, the villagers of our village were frightened by it and so with arrows we shot it down from the sky," he said, "It landed on our village, fire from its body spreads around the village, with its dying breath it said, "One day the dead would not die but roam for an eternity, when the first head rolls, second bodies vanish from the depts., thirdly all would burn, fourth waters will flood, fifth, she would take and last of all, people would never die but live in forms forever scarred." '

The old man looked up. "Immorality," Naru spoke, "is the curse about being Immortal?"

The old man nodded his head. Laughter broke out across the table. The other teams laughed and Mai clenches her fist in anger. "What is so funny?" she shouted, she noticed John laughing but Maki did not.

"Little boy, and old man, please, immorality, that does not exist, and why is immorality a curse, isn't it great to live forever." The other ghost hunt team laughed along with the treasure hunters. Naru did not look bothered but continued to sip his tea.

"If you lived forever," Maki spoke suddenly her voice drowned in the laughter. "And everybody dies, wouldn't it be very sad," she said. The laughter stop and everybody even Naru stared at the girl. "Isn't that the meaning of the curse?" she said, smirking and John nodded in agreement. The old man seemed pleased, "We hope you all can solve this case...all you have to do is find the missing bodies, the curse is another matter."

Both Naru and Maki perked up at the same time.

"Now I'm sorry for letting you all listen to heavy stuff when you are hungry and tired, how about dinner shall we?' the old man said and clapped his hands.

A snort of laughter broke through again. "Immorality, what a joke," one of the weirdly dressed detectives spoke.

"It does not exist, boy, stop living in a dream," a treasure hunter told Naru and Mai stood up slamming her fork down on the table. "Do you have a problem old man?" she shouted.

"Turritopsis nutricula," Naru said, silencing the group.

"A group of jelly fish-"he was cut off, "a group of jelly fish who are biologically immortal," Maki continued, "Once they reach sexual maturity, they are able to-'

"Convert back to being sexually immature," Naru said cutting her off. Maki was smirking and Naru was glaring at the girl. "That would mean that they are able to live for many, many cycles, they can never die," Maki said, "Basically they are-"

"Immortal," Naru said cutting in.

'Who said it does not exist?" Maki said. There was silence. Mai looked at the girl amazed. There was something about this girl; somehow she knew it when she first saw her. Her way of talking and her cool exterior. She was exactly like Naru.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Next chapter, Horror!


	3. Looking in through the window

People I do know that John came from Australia, that was why I made the other John (the one I created, the ego one) come from America! There are two Johns in the story, I am very sorry if you get confused. So to ease your confusion, the original John would still be called John; the one I created would be called Brown-san! Is that ok with you!

And if you do not like Maki Nishimura, its ok, I don't give a damm. She's not my main concern.

Also I am not good with names, so forgive me if I name the characters wrongly. In ghost hunt Naru is the problem! So from now on, Naru would just be called Naru! That is final!

And sorry for the long wait, I have O level exams and their messing with my brain cells. Actually I have no problems failing these exams and becoming a cleaner, but my mom would kill me.

And enjoy.

The whispering mountain

File 3#

Looking in through the window

"This place sure is cold," John commented. Mai looked at him and nodded. Then she remembered, "John, there is another person in place with the same name as you...well, he came from America though," she said, "And his character is totally different from yours."

John appeared shocked for a moment before smiling. "I would like to meet this person." He said. Naru appeared behind the two of them. "You may not get a chance," he commented, "Please help move the equipment."

Mai remembered and rushed off towards the black van that Lin had just drove up the hill a few moments ago. The wind was blowing more harshly then before and the snow was picking up. They had to hurry and unload the van or not they would be trap in a blizzard.

"Doing an investigation n this weather is no joke," Mai whispered, she grabs the camera and trudge up a snowy path towards a medium sized hut that the villagers had prepared for them. "Immortality, huh," she said, thinking. "And missing bodies."

What was the connection?

She shook her head. Thinking about such a difficult thing was Naru's job, her job was too bring this heavy god knows what into the hut itself. Mai shifted the heavy equipment into a more comfortable position before continuing.

"Mai, be careful with that equipment, that thing cost more than your pay check!" Naru's voice sounded behind her and Mai stumbled catching the equipment and placing it on the ground.

"Then tell me earlier!" she shouted.

******************************************************************************************************************

It was hours later and the ghost hunt team sat in the hut surrounding a small kindling fire. Mai was sleepy and the fire's orange illuminating glow was making it harder to stay awake, Naru's monotonous voice was not helping either.

"Ayako and Masako I would like you to investigate the grave yard where the bodies went missing," Naru said.

"Bou-san, I would like you to find out more about the old woman's murder and this curse," he instructed and the monk sighed. "Leave the hard job to the eldest one, huh," he said.

"You are not the eldest," Masako pointed out. Bou-san gaze landed on Ayako and he sniggered, "Your right."

Naru sighed and pointed to Mai and John, "You two will set up voice recorders and video cameras around these places," he ordered and handed Mai a piece of paper. "Do not mess up."

"Yes, yes," Mai answered, irritated.

"Yasuhara-san, could you check out the profiles of everybody who are investigating this case."

"Ok, tomorrow we would get to work," Naru said.

"What about you and Lin?" Mai asked and Naru shrugged before walking towards Lin and the both of them began to discuss quietly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were gay," Mai muttered and John snorted before holding his mouth to keep himself from laughing.

"This snow storm sure is ferocious," Masako said. She was looking out of the huts square like window. She was right, the winds banged continuously on the glass window making them rattle and the snow swirled so quickly everything was like a white blur. Mai and John stood up and joined her at the window. "It's like a close circle," John said and the two girls stared at him with questioning looks.

"Something mysterious happens and the people are trapped, thus only they themselves can help themselves," John answered. "It happens most of the time in detective dramas."

"Oh, like detective Conan," Masako said and she regretted it almost immediately.

"Masako, what is it with you and detective Conan," Mai said. Masako held her kimono up to cover her blushing face. "Shut up," she said and continues to stare out of the window.

Suddenly she gasped and she stood up. Mai and John noticing her shock turned to look out of the window and they fell back gasping. The window's glass was frosted because of the cold but there was most definitely a face mark printed on the frosted window.

The face print was moving slowly and it moved sideways across the frosted window, slowly. The eyes of the face mark were closed and Mai swallowed the saliva that was forming in her mouth. It moved slowly, sliding like a snail. Before it slid downwards and disappeared. It had left a path along the frosted window.

Ayako, Bou-san and Yasuhara-san who had noticed this all stood up and rushed towards the windows. Masako placed her hand on the window. "It's warm," she said. As she said this, a loud thud was heard outside the hut. Something had fallen on the soft snow. Mai jumped and Naru stood up. He walked towards the doors of the hut and without hesitating open the door.

"Naru!" Mai shouted.

A dark figure landed on Naru with such force it forced Naru on the ground. Ayako and Bou-san had their hands up ready to chant when Mai gave a scream. Lin winced and Ayako gasped. Bou-san turned away, John landed on the ground, wanting to puke, Yasuhara-san and Masako stood rooted on the spot each not knowing how to react. Naru pushed the figure away before standing up.

There was a dark spreading stain on his shirt and he stood there gasping. Lin the first to recover walked towards the figure and with nimble hands flipped the figure over, Mai winced there was a deep gaping hole in the figure's stomach and red blood was flowing smoothly. The figure had a face, Mai suppose, because where the face should have been, was just two pairs of close slitted eyes. There was no nose, no mouth; those features seemed to have been burnt away.

Then at the corner of her eyes Mai saw something white and moving towards their hut. "Close the door!" Masako and Mai shouted at the same time. The white figure was approaching fast, so fast it was almost upon their door when John slammed it shut.

There was silence for a few minutes before they heard a soft knock on their door. Mai gulped.

"Don't open it," Mai commanded John.

Tense silence filled the room and Masako slowly backed away from the window, pulling Ayako and Bou-san back too.

"Don't look," she whispered.

There was another faint knock, then another and soon knocking and rapping sounds could be heard around the window. Mai heard Ayako gasped and saw Masako covering the woman's eyes.

"Don't look," she said again. Mai turned and caught a glimpse of a face, pale and small staring into the room through the window. It was a woman. "Mai," Masako warned and Mai turned away. Mai looked away, she could feel the woman outside the window staring and inspecting everyone in the room.

There was a slight tap on the window, the tapings got louder and Mai held her breath. Please, she thought, please don't break. The window must not break. Soon the tapping became more violent bangs and the window rattled with each force. The house seems to shake and the winds outside howled even more loudly.

"Let me in," the woman rasped.

There was a shuddering boom and a strong gust of wind.

Then, it was gone. Masako sank to the ground and Bou-san heaved a big sigh. All turned to look at the figure on the ground.

"His dead," Lin answered.

It was a dead body of one of the villagers.


	4. Adam, Eve and sin

And here comes the 4th chapter, I added some horror moments into it. I hope you enjoy it.

The whispering mountain

File 4#

Adam, Eve and sin

"Well, I don't know what to make of it," the detective said inspecting the dead body. He used his white gloved hand to probe the man's melted face and he winced. "I don't know what can do this," he said and he stood up, placing his hand on his fore head.

"It looks like something out from a horror movie," John whispered to Mai who sat beside him and she nodded. They were sitting at the corner of the hut, watching as Bou-san, Ayako, Lin and Naru inspected and moved the body. Soon some villagers came in to move the body, they didn't seem shock and Mai found that pretty weird. Naru must have too because he stopped one of the villagers.

"Did this thing happen before?" he asked and the villager looked at Naru before shrugging. Mai looked at the villager. That was a very weird response.

"Murder," Bou-san sighed, "This is going to be one heck of a case."

Lin shut the door when the villagers and the detective left and the group turned to look at the spot where the man once lay. "Naru, do you have any idea what that thing...that thing just now was?" Mai asked and Naru turned to look at the window then at Masako.

Masako shook her head. "All I know is that that thing we saw just now is dangerous," she whispered, "There was something about it that was horrifying...the image of..."

"Death," Mai said and Masako nodded. Naru placed his hands on his chin. "Another job for you Bou-san," he told the monk and the monk sighed, "Please research on the local monsters."

"Why can't you do it?" Bou-san asked and Naru turned around, he did not answer. Mai knew that he was thinking hard.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"Maki, where are you going?" John Brown from America asked the girl as she trudged up the snowy slope. The girl did not answer; instead she walked on with determination.

"Maki, can't we do this tomorrow, when its brighter, its night now and I don't want to die out here," he told the stubborn girl. She did not answer him again. John sighed. Great Maki, get yourself deeper into trouble. He caught up to the short girl and held her shoulder as they walked on, deeper and deeper into the forested, snowy mountain.

It was getting darker and darker and soon John couldn't see what was in front of him. "Maki," He said, trying to talk the girl out of this. "John, your hand phone," Maki said and John groaned. He pulled out a very fashionable pink hand phone from his pocket and switched it on. The dull light of the hand phone illuminated the area and John shrieked.

"A...a grave yard!" he shouted and Maki slapped her hand over his mouth. She had her goggles on again. John felt chills going down his spine. Somewhere a crow cawed. The head stones of the grave yard protrude out from the snowy ground; they looked like heads rising out from the frozen snowy ground.

"Maki, why are we here?" John moaned. The girl bent down and John joined her refusing to be alone in this eerie place.

"Do you believe in ghost?" Maki asked suddenly and John jumped in fright. "We are not supposed to talk about ghost now! Look at where we are! In a frigging grave yard, read the mood will you," he exclaimed. Maki shifted some snow away with her fingers and dug. John peered around while she was at it.

This place was giving in the creeps. The head stones, the worn down words on the head stones and the deep dark holes where the dead bodies supposedly disappeared from. Maki stood up again and walked before squatting beside one of those dark holes filled in with snow and peered into it.

"Do you believe in ghost?" Maki asked again and John wanted to strangle the girl's throat. She reached into the hole and John did an imitation of the famous art work "The scream".

"Maki!" he scolded the girl. He saw her slip something into her pocket and he held himself. She stood up and blew into her hands. She was cold. "Maki, what did you find?" he asked her, the girl turned to face him. She did not speak nor did she answer. She shrugged and walked. He followed her.

They walked down a path and out of the grave yard. His hand phone screen began to flicker and he grabs on to Maki. John inspected his hand phone. This wasn't right, his hand phone's battery should be full, and why was his hand phone dying out. His eyes widened when he saw the battery bar on his hand phone screen decreasing rapidly.

"Maki," he whispered, his hand grew tensed and tightened around Maki's shoulder. The battery bar hit a new low and then the light from his hand phone died out. Darkness took over almost immediately and John gave a slight whimper. Something wasn't right, he could feel it.

"I see," he heard Maki said. She took his hand off her shoulder and held it. "Hold on tight," she said.

It was pitch black and there was no way they could navigate out of the forest like these. There was a crack from a tree branch and John jumped.

"See, this is why I told you to wait till morning!" John seethes. He was angry yet for some reason scared. Maki did not answer him instead she began to walk, pulling John along. "Maki, where are we going? Don't tell me you know where you're going? I know your smart, but I do know you do not have night ray vision!" he exclaimed and Maki gripped his hand tight coughing him to yelp in pain.

"Calm down, now walk," she commanded, in a cool tone. John stopped his lips from shaking and he walked. This girl in front of him was an enigma.

The darkness seemed to be getting darker, it seemed to have form. As they walked, it swirled around them and John didn't like it one bit. Maki stopped abruptly and John felt chills going down his spine. It seemed to be getting colder for some reason.

There was a loud thump behind them and John jumped, crashing into Maki who held her balance to keep them from falling. "Maki..." John whispered.

He could feel it, there was something behind him. The soft touch on his back, the soft breeze breathing in and out on his neck. That thing was very close, he could almost see it. Maki did not answer him instead she started to walk again and John followed her.

As he walked he heard the soft crunch of snow behind him. He gulped, felt tears springing into his eyes. The soft sounds of a person breathing lightly but surely down his neck were getting more persistent. He felt something brush his neck and chills spread down his entire body. Every part of him was telling him to run but instead he followed Maki's pace and they walked slowly.

A branch snapped and snow fell to the ground. John felt the figure move and he began to shiver. Maki in front of him gripped his hand tighter and he nodded. Stay calm. He told himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something white and tall standing beside him, walking beside him. He closed his eyes, opening them again. He held back a scream. There was a white woman; she was now walking beside Maki, slowly but deliberately. She walked in limps, waywardly. Her hair was burnt in most places, but was pure shiny black. The gown of white cloth she wore seems to be glowing softly.

He saw the woman's head turning and he quickly shut his eyes. She was looking at him; she was definitely looking at him.

There was a huge gust of wind and John winced, he accidently open his eyes and found himself standing on the ledge of their hut. Maki was in front of him. She opened the door and slammed it with so much force that when it slammed down on its hinges it made a nice bang sound. John collapsed on the ground, panting. His chest felt like it was exploding. Maki locked the door and pulled the curtains over the windows before sitting beside John. She was staring very intently at the door, as if waiting, waiting for something to happen.

Sure enough there was a small tap on the door followed by a series of loud rapping noises. The door shook so violently, John thought it was going to fall off its hinges. Then the sounds stopped. Maki stood up and stared at the door, she pulled off her goggles.

"Do you believe in ghost?" she asked him again.

***********************************************************************************************************************

"Adam and Eve," John said and Mai jumped. John was sitting beside her, as the team slept quietly. No one slept on the spot where the man died.

"What about Adam and Eve?" Mai asked and John smiled. "Willing to listen," he asked and Mai nodded. "I can't sleep anyway...after all that," she said and John continued.

"In my religion, God created a man called Adam, and from Adam he created Eve," John said, "They lived in a beautiful place, God had created for them, lived happily and freely, maybe...if they have lived in that place, they could have lived forever, " he said.

"Immorality," Mai said and John nodded.

"However, Eve fell to sin and God decided to punish them, he banished them from the beautiful place and they can never set foot in there ever again," John continued, "In certain ways...it is because we sinned and that is why we are suffering...that is why death."

Mai digested all these for a moment. "We sin and therefore, we cannot live forever," Mai said. John nodded, "That is why, even those who can live forever," John said, "Still die."

*****************************************************************************************************

Next time more Masako, Mai and Naru


	5. Yuki Onna

Ok time to build up the mystery…

(If you cannot stand horror, or gore, or disgusting stuff don't read the next chapter)

The whispering mountain

File 5#

Yuki Onna

"Mai, a little to the left, yes, there," John instructed her and Mai placed the water proof video camera on the snowy ground. John ran over to her in his hand was a nice wide green plastic cloth. He placed it over the camera and hammered the sides to the ground.

Mai gave a long deep sigh.  
"How many more to go?" she asked. John held out the list and he laughs nervously, "About ten," he said. Mai clenches her fist. "Damm you Naru," she said and began to trudge up the snowy slope.

"Where to next," she asked and John pointed to the direction of the huts, "We're suppose to put voice recorders there," he said and Mai frowned, "Spying on the other teams, huh," she said. That sly idiot. They trudge towards the hut, carrying the heavy bags of electronic equipment.

"Why do we always get the manual jobs," Mai complained. John smiled and walked ahead of her. "But isn't this more fun than researching," he said. Mai scratched her head, "Yeah, maybe your right," she said and they walked towards the first hut. Mai slapped the voice recorder on the sides of the windows.

They did that for every hut and by the time they were finished it was already noon. Mai's stomach growled and she blushed. John laughs. "Lunch?" he suggested and Mai nodded. Mai and John turned and walked only to bump into the treasure hunters.

Mai winced and the treasure hunter cursed at her.

"Look where you're going, girly," he warned her. Girly! Mai stamped her feet on the ground, "You too, old faggot," she said. The man turned and raised his fist.

"Norio, stop wasting time, she's just a kid, she's not worth your time," another man called him. The man snorted and he walked away. Mai raised her fist. "Why that-"

John held Mai back and pulled her. "Calm down, Mai," he said. Mai glared at John saw his smiling face and sighed. "Lunch," she said and John nodded.

"John, why don't you get angry," she asked him and John shrugged. "Because, they are a waste of time," he said and Mai burst out laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked.

Mai rubbed her eyes, "I was expecting a holy answer."

John frowned, "Even priest are humans," he said.

*******************************************************************************************************************

"I see our video camera," Ayako said pointing to the neatly placed camera placed behind a head stone.

"Concentrate," Masako scolded the older woman and Ayako sighed. Why did Naru place her with Masako? Masako squatted down next to the big deep hole. "This is where the bodies disappeared," Ayako informed the girl and the girl raised her hands to her nose.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

The girl faltered and Ayako raced towards her, grabbing her before she fell into the deep hole itself. "What are you doing?" Ayako scolded the girl. The girl was panting and Ayako realised that something was wrong.

"Masako?" she asked.

There was a huge gust of wind and Ayako tensed. She took Masako and pulled her away from the hole. Something was emerging from it. She raised her two hands and started to chant. The winds stop and Masako was now gasping.

"Masako, what did you see?" Ayako whispered.

The girl looked so terrified Ayako felt sorry for her.

"Melting," Masako whispered suddenly.

"They are melting..."

**************************************************************************************************************************

"Ah, your back," Bou-san greeted them as they walked into the hut. Mai looked at the large pile of papers Bou-san had behind him and she scrunched up her face. "Is that information?" she asked and Bou-san nodded. He smiled a brilliant smile and handed some to Mai.

"Now, help me," he said.

Mai held out her hands to deny him, "John and I are only here for lunch we still need to set up some equipment," she said. Bou-san pouted, he turned to John and John shook his head too. He slumped. "This town, they have too many archives...files and recordings...and some of their files are so old I don't even understand the writings!" he said, picking up one of the papers and shoving it in Mai's face.

Mai took it and found that the paper was brittle. She handled it with care. It was yellow and thin, there were a few tears here and there. There were writings and pictures on the paper itself. Thin scrawl written in black ink. The writing seemed ancient and Mai raised her eye brow.

"Is this even Japanese?" she asked. The words looked weird.

"Look at the date!" John exclaimed and Mai did. "Whoa, this was written in Koka 4," she said. (The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the Japanese era name (年号, _nengō_?, lit. year name) and the year number within the era. For example, the year 2009 is Heisei 21. From Wikipedia)

"Which means in…?" John said, getting slightly confused.

"1847," Bou-san said.

"This document is almost 200 years old," Mai whispered. Bou-san grabs it from her and looked at the writing, then at the small drawing at the side of the words. "This picture…it looks familiar," he said. The picture was smudge slightly but Mai could see it was a drawing of a dressed woman.

The woman had no feet but she was beautiful and wore a kimono very much like Masako.

"She has no feet, which makes her a ghost or entity of some sort," Bou-san said.

"Why?" John asked.

"In Japanese beliefs we believe that ghost have no feet, during that time this belief was very popular," Bou-san said.

"So this document could be talking about this woman ghost," John said and Bou-san nodded. "Now, if only we can make out the words," he said looking intently at the words.

"Are there more recent ones?" John asked and Bou-san smirked. "I thought you weren't interested in helping me," he said. He handed John some papers. "Those are not that important, but you could look at them while you're setting up the equipment," he said. Mai took the paper from 1847 and stuffed it in her pocket without Bou-san realising. There was something about it that Mai couldn't place. Something important about it, especially the picture of the woman.

Sad and crying in the snow.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"Why do I keep bumping into people?" Mai muttered angrily to herself. She got up and found herself staring at Maki the girl from before. Maki was alone. "Oh, hello," Mai said to the girl. The girl still had her weird goggles on and was wearing the same black sweater outfit from the day before.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you," Mai said and the girl shrugged. She lifted a piece of paper from the ground and handed it to Mai. Mai gasped. It was the paper about the woman.

"T…thanks you," she said.

"Where is John?" she asked the girl.

"Oh, so he is John," John said. Mai shook her head, "No this is Maki, she's a girl," Mai explained and John was stunned.

"I'm sorry, I…I didn't realise you were a girl," he said and Maki remained silent. She was now looking at the paper Mai held intently. Mai was nervous. "You want to look at it?" she asked and Maki nodded. Mai handed the paper to the girl and the girl took it and looked at it.

Mai couldn't tell what the girl was thinking about; the goggles were hiding the girl's eyes.

"This is ancient Chinese writing," Maki said suddenly, stunning Mai and John.

"Huh?" they said. Maki showed them the paper. "This is ancient Chinese writing, the strokes they look like Japanese characters and yet they are not, these are Chinese characters but they are written in the olden way," Maki explained.

"Do…you know how to read it?" Mai asked.

Maki stared at the words again.

"I only know the first 5 words," she said, "It says, "Xue hua nu Yao""

'Erm…is that Japanese," Mai asked and Maki shook her head. "No it's Chinese; in Japanese we know it as Yuki Onna, snow woman."

A slight cold wind blew at their backs and both Mai's and John's eyes widened. "Then that thing from last night…" John whispered.

Maki pulled off her goggles and Mai saw the seriousness in the girl's eyes. "Are you talking about a white woman?" she asked.

John and Mai nodded.

"Yuki Onna," Maki whispered.


	6. Voices

Let the horror begin.

And let us dive deeper in the mystery shall we.

The whispering mountain

File 6#

Voices

"Naru!" Mai shouted at the boy who was just entering the hut. He was covered in snow from head to shoulder, Lin was too and they both looked extremely tired.

Naru looked up and glared at Mai. "What is it?" he asked. Mai waved the sheet of 1847 document she found and Naru raised his eye brow. "Yuki Onna, we might have found the culprit," she said. Naru grabs the document from her and read it without much interest.

"It's Chinese," he said, "Ancient Chinese."

"That was exactly what Maki said," Mai said and Naru raised his eye brow further. "Maki Nishimura," he said and Mai nodded. Naru stared at the paper. He was looking at it more intently now. Mai pouted.

"Good job Mai," he said and folded the piece of paper and placed it in his pocket. "Aren't you going to read it?" she asked the boy and the boy shook his head, "the only words I know are 'Xue Hua Nu Yao.'" He said and Mai frowned. "You know Naru…that girl Maki and you are very much alike." She said.

Naru shrugged and sipped the tea Ayako had just put out.

"How was your trip to the grave yard?" he asked the older woman who shook her head. "No good, Masako refused to tell me what she saw," she said. Naru glanced at the kimono wearing girl who sat silently in the corner next to the window. She was deep in thought. He sipped his tea again and looked at Bou-san who also shook his head.

"Give me one more day, the archives are just too big." He said. Naru nodded and settled into the ground again drinking his tea.

"That video cameras and voice recorders are in order," John informed Naru who nodded. Lin walked over to the computer monitors that lined the other side of the wall and switches them all on. Images popped out on the screens and the whole view of the village was displayed to them.

"This is some high quality stuff," Bou-san said whistling.

"Night vision video cameras, hi-def," Naru responded, he seemed rather proud of them.

"Where is Yasuhara-san?" Mai said suddenly realising the college student absences. The group looked up realising it too. "He shouldn't be taking so long," Ayako said and Naru turned to the monitor screens.

"Ah, there he is," Mai said pointing to one of the monitors breathing a sigh of relief, "His walking back…and he seems to be…holding a very big file," she said. Mai frowned, there was a red dot on Yasuhara-san's stomach and it seemed to be moving towards his forehead. Mai frowned and nudges Naru. "What is that?" she commented and Naru too looked more closely at the screen.

"A red dot," he said simply, getting rather annoyed, "Just a red…" Naru banged the tea cup down on the floor and rushed to the screen. "Lin!" he commanded and the Chinese man stood up. "Locate Yasuhara," Naru commanded.

"That's near the shrine," Mai said immediately recognising the scene behind Yasuhara-san. "What's the matter?" she asked.

Naru did not explain but simply bounded out of the door. The red dot was moving fast and now it was at Yasuhara-san forehead. "Laser," Bou-san said looking at it. His eyes widened and he too rushed out of the hut. Mai followed him wanting to know what was going on. "Bou-san…" Mai shouted after the monk.

"Somebody," Bou-san shouted, his voice strained in the cold winter wind, "Is using a gun and aiming it at Yasuhara-san," he shouted. Mai gave a small cry and then she ran faster over taking Bou-san. She saw Naru and Lin ahead of them, they were running too. Then she saw Yasuhara-san who saw them running towards him.

The boy smiled and raised his hand waving at them. Mai saw the red dot and she let out a cry as she heard the sound of a gunshot. She saw Lin darting forward, saw Naru leaping towards Yasuhara-san. There was a loud ping sound and she saw a black figure pushing Yasuhara-san on the ground. They landed on the snow and white exploded around them.

Mai ran faster as fear brought speed in her legs. She ran towards Yasuhara-san who now lay sprawled on the ground. He was slightly disorientated and Mai found Maki on top of Yasuhara-san. Naru was staring at her and Lin seemed shock. Mai panted and sank to her knees, relieved. Maki got off Yasuhara-san, dusting herself.

Mai gasped, there was blood running down the side of her forehead and there was a terrible scratched wound there. It looked painful. Maki took off the goggles from her fore head and inspected it. The glass was broken and she slotted it in her pocket before dusting the snow off herself.

Bou-san saw Maki and was speechless.

"MAKI!" John's voice shouted at them. The John from America was running towards them, panting, he was grabbing his waist.

When John saw Maki's scratched forehead he gave a little shriek and he started to point wordlessly at it.

"What just happened?" Yasuhara-san said only beginning to recover. Naru and Maki looked at the same time to the direction of the gun shot. Mai noticed this and she smiled a small one.

"Gun shot," Naru said, "Somebody was trying to kill you."

"No," Maki said and Naru looked at her, she pointed at the ground, "Looks like they already achieved their goals," she said. they all turned to look at the ground and found that the papers Yasuhara-san was holding was all on the ground, mashed and soaked, no longer readable.

***************************************************************************************************************************

"You got to think before you act!" John shouted at Maki and Mai laughed. John was just like a mother hen. He fussed over the boyish girl wrapping layers and layers of bandages over and over her fore head.

"Thank you," Yasuhara-san said to the girl and handed her a cup of tea. They were back at the hut. Naru and Lin were looking at the monitors again trying to track down the culprit, the rest of the ghost hunt team was crowding around Maki and John.

"So your John, I'm John too," John Brown from America greeted the John from Australia.

John looked at the American and smiled a friendly one, "Please to meet you," he said.

"You are handsome like me," John from America inspected. He patted John's back and laugh heartedly, "One day I bring you to meet some girls," he said. John from Australia blushed shyly. "I can't I am a priest," he said. "Eh…" John from America said, "Why do all the good looking people become nuns or priest," he complained and John from Aus, laughed nervously.

Naru sighed and walked over to the big group, he sat down and faced Maki, who noticed his glare and she glared back at him. No one dared to speak and no one dared to talk, there was rising tension in the room itself. Was it just her imagination, or were these tow wordlessly fighting? Mai thought looking at both Naru and Mai.

Naru seemed to struggle with himself before putting on the most fake friendly smile he could come up with. "Would you like to work with our team?" he asked. The girl noticing his smile, smiled back, although also rather fakely, "Eh, would we?" she said.

They both did that for 5 minutes until Mai got up and hit Naru's shoulder and John from America hit Maki's head.

"We agree," Mai and John said together and the both of them smiled at each other shaking each other's hands.

Naru and Maki both turned away from each other afterwards. Maki refusing to speak to the ever talking and active John and Naru demanding a cup of tea from Mai. It was sinking back into a peaceful evening when suddenly the monitors started flashing so violently that it caught everyone's attention. Then the monitor screen went out and the candles that lit the room blew out.

"Close the window," Masako said and Ayako who was nearest did so. Bou-san locked the door and all turned to look at the closed window. Suddenly a loud scream echoed throughout the room. It caused Mai to jump and she fell to the ground. Yasuhara-san helped her up.

It came from the monitor's speakers and Naru was glaring at it. There was silence again and the darkness was starting to sink in. then another and another scream, loud and piercing through the monitor's speaker.

Mai cupped her ears. It was horrible, the screams, they were getting louder and louder and more high pitched.

Vivid pictures of blood and moving people crossed her minds, people running a girl who looked too familiar lying on the floor, screaming and screaming. She was pleading, her eyes were pleading. "Don't kill me," she seems to say. Mai winced as the girl split into two. Mai clutches her head. The horrible visions kept coming.

Then the sounds stopped and Mai was on the ground, her head hurting so badly she wanted to tear it out.

"Mai?" she heard John's voice whisper to her. Mai shivered violently and she felt Ayako grabbing her hand. "Mai, what is wrong?" Ayako said and Mai shivered, her head throbbing.

"Dead," Mai whispered, "No…" she said.

The scenes of blood and people being killed replayed in her mind over and over again. Their faces seemingly familiar.

"The voice recorder," Naru's distant voice sounded, "the screams were collected from one of the voice recorder John and Mai placed on the other team huts."

The monitor's screens went back on and Nar winced at the sight. Lin turned away. The other members gasped.

On one of the monitors, the snow…was red.


	7. Harry Potter

Books are great aren't they… they can become clues too.

Sorry for the 2 day late update. And can somebody tell me, why chemistry is important.

Also, I have a voting poll in my profile, please vote, the vote depends on whether the story takes this path or another…I can't tell you the paths because it would be revealing the story line to you.

The whispering mountain

File 7#

Harry potter

"This is very bad," the detective commented. Naru and Lin stood next to the detective as the villagers cleared up the blood and carnage from the treasure hunters hut. "All of them, killed, dead gone," the detective said.

He winced as another body was taken out from the hut.

"How were they killed?" Naru asked and the detective pulled out a cigarette, lighted it and smoked. "All had holes in their bodies...I suspect they have been shot by a large gun…maybe a bazooka, or something like that."

"Well, that is impossible anyway," the detective said. Naru nodded in agreement before turning his attention to the bloodied hut. It was a horrific sight. Blood stained the walls and windows of the hut. There was not one thing not covered in blood. It was as if the killer took his own sweet time to spread blood all over the hut…but that was impossible.

When they heard the screams from the video recorder, Naru and Lin immediately dashed out of the room to the treasure hunters hut. That would mean the murderer had only a few seconds to escape. How did he or she do it?

Or…was it even human? Naru remembered the white woman from yesterday and took out the 1847 paper Mai had given him.

Whatever the case, they needed a Chinese translator.

******************************************************************************************************************

"A video camera…set a video camera in that bloody hut!" Mai shouted at Naru who nodded. Mai shook her head. "Are you out of your mind, there are people who have died there!" she shouted.

"Was the whole team eliminated?" Masako asked her voice soft and Naru shook his head.

"We are not sure," he said and silence befell the group.

"Who could have done this?" Mai whispered, she was shaking. Ayako got up and stroke the girl's head.

"Hey…do you think it could be night woman?" John from Australia asked. Upon hearing John's voice Naru turned, "Where is the other John…and Nishimura-san?" he asked.

"They left a few minutes ago," Ayako said, "That Maki girl wanted to look at something."

Naru frowned for a moment before taking out the 1847 paper Mai had given him. "It might be." He said answering John's question. Mai looked at the boy's face and she knew something was up. "Naru…you seem unsure," she said and Naru looked at her confirming her suspicions.

"Yasuhara-san you were carrying the files of which contained the information of the people who work here, am I right?" Naru said and Yasuhara-san nodded.

"But I was shot and those files are now destroyed…" Yasuhara-san answered before gasping. He seemed to have realised something and Naru nodded. Mai looked at the both of them getting really frustrated. "What!? What?" she said.

"There is someone out here…who wishes to hide their past…and probably, Nishimura-san knows that too." Naru said.

"So you mean…" Mai said still not getting it.

Bou-san, Ayako and Masako slap their hands on their fore heads.

"Mai, how dense can you get?" Masako scolded the girl.

"Somebody around us…is trying to kill all of us," John said.

*****************************************************************************************************************

"_Mai,"_

_Mai opened her eyes and found herself staring at a smiling Naru. She got up, shocked and she sighed. "I am dreaming am I?" she said and Naru smiled. He helped her to her feet and she found millions of white circle like things floating around her._

"_Orbs," she whispered. Naru took her hand and they walked silently. Mai realised that they were floating. _

"_Where are we going Naru?" she asked Naru who did not answer but continued to walk._

_It was now that Mai took note of her surroundings. They were in a white barren land. Snow was everywhere and the village could not be seen. There was a blizzard and the visibility was very low. However Mai did not feel cold._

_It was a mysterious place._

"_Naru?" Mai said again, this time softly._

_He turned and places a finger on her lips. "You must not speak," he mouth the words to her and she frowned. She did not understand and she had a lot of questions. They continued to walk, Naru pulling her along and they walked and walked._

_There seem to be no end to this vast whiteness._

"_There," Naru whispered so softly, Mai almost missed his words. Mai turned and found herself staring at two men. There was something strange about the two men, they were dressed in a few ragged cloths and above their heads were some weed woven baskets. Their dress style and their hair styles all seemed weird somehow._

_The answer hit Mai hard, those men were from an era a few centuries back…maybe from the 1600's. Naru nodded at her when she realise this and he told her to keep quiet again. They followed the two men who seemed to be struggling in the white blizzard. Mai felt sorry for them. They had little clothes and the cold must have been getting to them._

_One of the men's lips was blue; the other was pulling the other along. They walked with difficulty and their ragged clothes flapped violently in the wind itself. Naru and Mai walked silently. Mai noticed the orbs dancing around the two men and she felt chills go down her spine._

_The two men found a cave and Mai almost cried out in joy for them. They moved forward towards it with great difficulty. Finally they entered the cave and they collapsed._

"_Don't sleep here," Mai thought to herself. You will die! The two men seemed to have realised this because they got up and shifted their weed baskets to the entrance of the caves. The man with the blue lips took out a few rags from his cloth and lighted them with a splint. They soon had a nice fire going. _

_And then they slept. Mai noticed Naru's expression changing. She felt it dread. Something was going to happen in this enclosed cave. The white orbs were getting more numerous. _

_Soon the fire vanished and the white orbs glowed more violently. Mai felt shivers go up her spine. _

_The cave entrance covered by the woven weed basket cracked open and a little snow drifted in. _

_White mist filled the room and the orbs twirled around one another. Mai almost gasp but Naru places his hand over her mouth. A white clothed woman entered the cave, her hair was long and black, her face hideous._

_She had no feet._

_The white orbs twirled around her and she opened the mouths of hers. There was screams and clicking noises and Mai closed her eyes shut. The noises faded and when she opened her eyes again the orbs were gone. This time the woman was staring at her and Naru._

_Mai almost screamed as the woman swooped towards them. Mai's face almost touching the woman's nose. She had no eyes but her nose and ears twitched. She seems to be sensing and hearing for her and Naru._

_That was why Naru told her not to make any sound._

_The men with the blue lips moved and the woman turned and opened the big mouth of hers. Mai almost screamed but Naru held her. The woman pierced the man's stomach and blood exploded from it. His blood splashed in Mai's and Naru's direction. His blood went through them and stained the walls behind them._

_Mai struggled but Naru held her._

_The man beside the blue tinged lips man, who was now dead, moved and the white woman turned to face him. He opened his mouth and he screamed. The woman now had eyes and her hideous face was replaced with a beautiful pale one._

_The man backed away and she grabs his neck._

"_Tell anyone about this and I would kill you," she rasped. _

_The man nodded furiously, and then the woman was gone._

_Naru released his grip on Mai and Mai let out a gasp she was panting, she winces when she saw the dead body of the man. She turned to Naru who was looking at the man with a sad smile._

"_What is going on!" she screamed at Naru and Naru smiled at her._

"_Look deeper, Mai, the answer to immorality, is just beside you," he whispered and then he vanished._

************************************************************************************************************

"The murdered victims, were Yukito-san, Genta Minoru-san and Hanako-san," the detective said, "They were all from the treasure hunter team I called…however we have a survivor…whose guts haven't been ripped apart yet," he said.

"Norio," the detective said and John gasped, "That's the guy who bumped into Mai this afternoon," he said.

'Well he is pretty much in shock right now," the detective said.

"Speaking of Mai," Masako said, "She's sleeping, right now."

Naru looked at the red headed girl and he sighed. "Ignore her," he said as he said this Mai awoke banging her head on the wall with so much force it created a large boom sound that made everyone in the team, except Naru jump.

"Mai!" Ayako scolded and the detective wiped his sweat of his face.

"Yuki Onna!" Mai said, "Naru, what is the legend of Yuki Onna!" she shouted.

Naru silenced her with a glare and turned to the detective. "What is Norio doing now?" he asked. The detective rubbed his head. "He would be sent back home but he kept whispering something…" he said.

"What?" Naru asked.

"Harry potter…and the philosopher stone." The detective said.

Naru almost dropped the tea cup he was holding.

"I think it's a clue," the detective said, "A very important one."


	8. Whispering caves

This chapter is going to blow your mind. And you might become very confused.

Do I care…well relatively, I don't.

Try to solve it yourself, this mystery.

And for those who I cannot answer, thanks for the reviews.

And ALL WILL NOT BE WHAT IT SEEMS.

My favourite quote.

The whispering mountain

File 8 #

Whispering caves

"_Mai,"_

_Mai opened her eyes and she found herself floating over a field. The smiling Naru was beside her and he had taken her hand. _

"_A continuation?" Mai asked and Naru nodded. They landed on the field and Mai found that it was a farm. "Carrots," she said. Naru silenced her and pointed to a path beside the farm and there she saw the man._

_The man from the cave! They walked towards the man. Mai sighed in relief. The man seemed better than before and he looked stronger. They followed the man as he walked down the path,_

"_Ah," Mai exclaimed and Naru silenced her again. Further up the path was a woman, she was injured and was bleeding profusely. The man ran towards her. She had long black hair and slightly tanned skin, she wore a kimono which had been ripped in some places. The wound did not look that severe._

_The man helped the woman up and carried her. Naru and Mai followed, soon the path ended and a small wooden shed lay beside the path. The man carried the woman inside and Mai and Naru followed. _

'_What is happening?" Mai asked and Naru shook his head and pointed to the man and woman. _

"_I'll treat you," the man told the woman, he went away._

_The woman, Mai noticed was watching the man intently, watching and seemed to be waiting. Mai looked thoroughly at the woman and she gasped loudly. The woman turned to look at Naru and Mai. Naru places himself in front of Mai and the woman looked away._

"_She can sense out presences Mai," Naru whispered to Mai, "She is a Youkai."_

_The woman…had no feet._

*************************************************************************************************************************

"Mai!"

Mai snapped awake only to find herself staring at a very furious Masako. Masako was holding Mai and seemed to be doing so with much difficulty. "Are you going to sleep on your job?" Masako scolded Mai and Mai sighed, rubbing her head. She had done it again.

"Excuse me, I sleep to get information, therefore I am not sleeping on my job!" Mai said.

Dammit Naru, why team her up with Masako.

"Are we going to the grave yard or are you just going to sleep here, in the snow?" Masako asked. Her voice annoying to Mai's ears. "Eh, yes we're going," Mai said storming through the snow, "brat," she added in a lower voice.

"Violent woman," Masako added.

The two girls bickered all the way until they reached the grave yard. Masako stopped abruptly and grabs Mai. "Masako?" Mai asked. She hated to admit it but somehow she was worried for Masako. A wind blew past and Mai's eyes widened.

What was this feeling? This feeling of pain and anguish. Mai places her hand on her chest firmly. There was something in the place she didn't like.

"Masako," she whispered. The girl had gotten completely pale and she was shivering. Her eyes fixed only at one spot, the large holes where the bodies supposedly disappeared from. Snow from the trees fell to the ground in loud thumps, somewhere a crow cawed.

Mai edge closer to the hole and Masako's grip tightened around Mai's arm. The hole was emitting a smell. A smell so strong it burns the inside of Mai's nostrils. It tingled and stung. Mai places her hand over her nose and looked into the hole.

There was nothing. It was just a deep black…

"Mai, what are you doing?" Masako screamed.

Mai reached into the hole and pulled out a small white object. It was lodge to the edge of the hole; therefore she was able to reach into it.

Images of people screaming and swirling in a transparent liquid entered Mai's mind and she gasped falling back. Masako catching her, before tripping on her kimono and falling forward. They fell straight into the hole.

Both girls screamed. Mai's head connected with the bottom of the hole, there was a sharp pain than nothingness.

****************************************************************************************************************************

"Yo, expressionless!" a voice called out to Naru who turned annoyed and found himself staring at John.

John from America. Naru frowned and looked around. "Where is your boss?" he asked. John smiled, "She's resting, I forced her, that girl really does not know how to relax…she's always been like that."

Naru stared at John and realised that this boy was forcing himself to smile at him.

"Why are you here investigating this…this case is clearly supernatural," Naru said. John smiled again and Naru became aware of that eerie aura behind the boy's smile. "Maki, see, she solves anything," John said, "Anything."

Than John laughs and patted Naru's back. "Anyway, if you need help in investigating, you can call for help," John said.

Naru frowned, hesitating before calling out to John.

"Tell your boss," he said, "Harry potter and the philosopher stone."

John almost burst out laughing but sensing Naru's serious aura he quit. "Is that a clue to the mass treasure hunter murder?" he asked and Naru nodded. John smirked, this time he wasn't pretending in front of Naru.

"So, you decided to trust us," he said and Naru nodded. John's smirk vanished and this time gave Naru a genuine smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something from his pocket. It was small white object. It seemed familiar however Naru couldn't place it.

"What is it?" he asked.

John shrugged, "Maki wanted to show it to your team; she found it in the grave yard."

John patted Naru and left. Lin appeared behind Naru and took a look at the bone. "Naru, are you sure about them?" Lin asked.

"Lin…I want you to do something for me…"

********************************************************************************************************************************

"Wake up!"

Mai opened her eyes and found Masako sitting on top of her slapping her face hard.

The girl was about to slap Mai's face again when Mai stopped her by pushing her off. Her cheeks were smarting and her head was hurting.

"Are you mad?!" Mai shouted at the girl, than realised that she was in the hole. She stared at Masako who was standing up. The girl was not her usual self. She was not composed anymore; tears were streaming from her eyes.

'I'm sorry," Mai said.

Masako shook her head and hugged Mai. Mai almost doubled over in shock. "Masako," she exclaimed, "Stop scaring me, why are you hugging me!"

Pain took over and Mai sank to the ground. Why was she so dizzy? She reached out and touches the back of her head and when she pulled her hand away found herself looking at glistening red blood.

"You hit a rock; I thought you were a goner!" Masako cried out.

"I'm not dead am I," Mai said and Masako nodded before pulling herself away. Mai sighed. They have gotten themselves into a lot of trouble.

"How do we get out of this hole," she muttered. She leaned at the edge of the walls of the hole and cried out as the wall collapsed. Masako cried out to her and held her hand. The wall crumbled and a deep black hole emerges from where the hole is.

Mai and Masako peered at the hole shock.

"A tunnel?" they said together.

The tunnel was dark and narrow, but Mai could feel a faint breeze coming from the tunnel. Masako places her kimono over her nose.

"Too bad it's too small for us to fit into," Mai said.

Masako grabs Mai and she began to shiver. "We must get out of here," she whispered, "Or we will be melting," she said.

"Masako, we are not ice-creams," Mai chided the girl but Masako was not joking.

"Ok, ok, I shall attempt to climb this stupid hole," Mai said, "I've done it once…so…" (See the vanishing fog).

"_Silence…death…"_

Mai and Masako turned to look at each other.

"Did you speak?" they asked each other and they both shook their head.

"_Those….come….must…killed."_

Masako and Mai stared at each other and they both stared at the tunnel.

"_Right…Ma-"_

"Whispering," Mai whispered.

"From the hole," Masako said.

*******************************************************************************************************************

Bou-san often wondered why he was left with the odd jobs. He sighed. He wanted to be out there with the team, but here he was stuck in the hut looking at old printed documents. He sighed. This was no fun.

He lifted another documents.

"Hmm… written in Genna 5th…so 1619, huh…" he said. he was about to put it away when he found Japanese words written in it. Words which he could read.

He frowned. The writing style at that time shouldn't match the writing style in this time. He grabs hold of the paper and felt that it didn't feel old at all.

He read it, this time more intrigued.

"Legends of the hidden mountain village," he said.

"The whispering tunnel…" he said, reading it more quickly. "It is said if you heard the whispers from the tunnel, death is futile."

Bou-san snorted and places the paper in another pile. He'll get Naru to read those later. For now, he'll look at other things.

**************************************************************************************************************

"Mai!" Masako shouted and Mai grab hold and pushes her hand into the wet soil of the walls of the hole.

"Ok," Mai said, "You're not the one trying to climb," she muttered.

Mai climbed with great difficulty.

"Mai, hurry!" Masako shouted.

'Ah, dammit, why don't you tr-"

Mai stopped and began to shiver. "Who are you talking too, Mai?"

There was a Masako above the hole and she looked genuine worried, "Naru and the others are coming to get you out of the hole, did you hit your head, from just now you've been talking to yourself.

"Didn't you fall into the hole with me!" Mai shouted at Masako. Masako had a look on her face. "

Are you mad, why would I make such a careless mistake, I tried to grab you when you fell into the hole but tripped and lost my footing, luckily I did not fall in too…"

"Mai?" Masako whispered.

Mai looked down and found the other Masako grinning up at her. "Who are you?" Mai whispered and the Masako lunges at her.


	9. Bone collector

Yuki Onna, snow woman is not a work of fiction. She really exists in the Japanese culture that is. She is a demon, a snow demon, beautiful in existence but with no feet. If you want to learn more about her, please go to Wikipedia.

The bone collector is based on another legend that I have read about in all my "weird" books. Yep i read a lot about this type of stuff if you didn't know that. You wouldn't find this information anywhere on the net unless you have my weird book. "Youkai and monsters" of Japanese culture.

By the way, Mai's dream part might be a little weird and confusing, so please bear with me for a while. When we get to the later chapters, you will see the link.

And for all of you who are confused...I can explain the chapters to you...

But ii would be very irritating for me :)

The whispering mountain

File 9#

Bone collector

Mai screamed as the Masako lunges at her and she twisted sideways as Masako brushed her. Masako fell back down the hole again. Mai immediately scrambled up the hole again when Masako lunges again. Mai felt something hard and sharp grab her ankle and she gave an ear piercing scream.

'Mai!" the real Masako from above shouted down at Mai.

"Don't play around, why are you scream-"she paused and she gasped when she saw a figure down at the hole itself. She places her hands over her mouth. The figure was something she had seen before, in one of Naru's books. It was a large skeleton, it was uncompleted, its skull had a few bits missing and one of its hands was missing. It looked like a human skeleton but Masako knew that it was anything but that.

Masako reached into the hole.

"Mai, grab my hand!" she said urgently.

Mai was struggling in the hole itself, she saw Masako's hand and she stretches. The fake Masako was morphing and it began to take on a more morbid shape. Mai screamed as it pulled on her, she grabs onto the sides of the hole, digging her hands into the soil. She forces herself to climb. Her head was hurting and her ankle was burning in pain.

"Hurry!" the real Masako from above shouted.

'AH!" Mai shouted, pushing herself hard. She heard a snap felt intense pain in her ankle and felt Masako's warm hand grabbing onto hers. Masako pulled and Mai realised that Masako was really weak.

"MASAKO!" Mai shouted.

Mai accidently looked down and a long drowning scream escaped from her lips. A skeleton was below her and it was grinning.

It grip on tighter to Mai's ankle squeezing it and opened its jaws. Hot air escaped from its lips and smoke filled the hole, it brunt Mai's nose.

Above Masako was trying hard to pull.

"You're heavy, Mai," she cursed, pulling some more.

She saw smoke escaping from the hole and she gasped. "Mai, don't breathe!" she shouted.

Mai was screaming in the hole and Masako cursed, she gave a very unlady like roar and pulled Mai out of the hole.

Mai was coughing and Masako helped her to her feet and they pulled back from the hole. The smoke that emerged became thick and black, than it disappeared. Mai and Masako were panting.

"What is that!?" Mai shouted, coughing some more, this time more violently.

"I never thought it would be true..." Masako whispered.

"What are you talking about, what is that? What the hell!?" Mai shouted.

'Calm down," Masako said, getting irritated again.

"Calm down," Mai whispered feverishly, "CALM DOWN! SCREW THAT!"

"Well you just shut up!" Masako shouted shocking herself. "Don't-!!!"

She stopped shouting when she saw Mai collapsing on the ground.

"MAI!" she shouted.

* * *

"A bone collector," Masako informed Naru. Naru eyes widened for a moment. "Are you sure?" he asked and Masako nodded. "And Mai found this," Masako said, giving Naru the white small piece that Mai had picked up from the hole.

Naru stared at it before turning to the unconscious Mai.

"She'll be alright, it's lucky she wasn't killed," Masako said.

"Who was the one panicking like a mad monkey when she couldn't revive Mai," Ayako mocking voice sounded. Masako winced.

"She'll be alright, Naru, don't worry, just a minor head injury and a case of a minor sprain ankle."

"Still I wonder why she always gets hurt," Masako said snorting.

"Because you failed to catch her," Bou-san said to Masako and Masako turned away looking at the window again.

"Give it a rest," Yasuhara-san sounded, "It wasn't anybody fault...anyway Masako what is a bone collector?"

Ayako and Bou-san gasped and Naru place the white piece down on the table and turned to Yasuhara-san and John who looked very confused. "There are legends that speak of them...and many instances in which people have seen them...but I have always been sceptical on whether they exist all not...since Masako saw them today, one can conclude that they do."

"They are creatures from the grave...well if you want to classify them then they are Youkai, demons." Bou-san said.

"They are incomplete in nature and thus need to collect bones from humans to maintain their body parts, they either kill to obtain their bones or they collect bones from mass graves..." Masako said. "They kill with a sort if demonic gas that they release from their mouths...I have never seen one before but now seeing one...I'm very sure the grave yard is not safe anymore."

"Melting, Masako, what do you mean about 'they are melting?' Ayako asked Masako. Masako turned to Naru; she seemed hesitant before she explained.

"The detective said that the bodies just disappeared...however...I saw shifting shapes in those holes themselves... they seemed like human souls meshing and mixing together...as if they were melting...I don't know how to describe it," Masako whispered.

"Bone collectors they only appear when there are bones to collect...however if all the bodies disappear than there shouldn't be any bones for the bone collector to collect," Masako elaborated. "However, the bone collector was there," John said suddenly getting it.

Naru turned to the white object Mai had found and he picked it up. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the white object that John from America had given him earlier today.

Yasuhara gasped and so did Masako. Naru held the two objects into the light.

"These are bones," he said, "Human bones."

* * *

"_I am dreaming...am I?" Mai asked the smiling Naru and Naru nodded before clutching on to Mai again._

_They were in a hut and there was the man from the mountain and the woman with no feet. The man was treating the woman with no feet and Mai watches all this. _

_Soon the images twisted and changed and Mai found herself in the same hut again, however, this time the man and woman were talking and laughing with each other. Mai pointed at the scene and looked at Naru confused._

"_Isn't she the demonic woman," Mai asked and Naru nodded. _

"_OH MY GOD," Mai exclaimed, "He married her!"_

_Naru nodded. Mai turned back to the man and the woman. Why can't he see that she had no feet? _

"_Papa, Mama!" two children called out to the man and the woman. The woman smiled and patted the two children. She was smiling and Mai felt chills going down her back. _

"_I found this Mama, look!" the little boy said to the woman. He held out a sharpen red rock and the woman looked at it horrified, she stood up and slapped the boy. "Never touch that!" she hissed at the boy. The boy cried shock and the woman retreated into the house._

_The man comforted the boy and looked at his wife worried. 'What is wrong, Oyuki?" he asked._

"_The stone bring it here," the woman hissed. The man frowned, "Why?" the man asked._

"_Just bring it here!" the woman shouted._

_The man sighed place his little boy down and picked up the red stone and handed it to his wife, who did not touch it but instead lifted it up with a piece of cloth. She wrapped the stone up in cloth and hid it in a pot. _

'_Oyuki?" the man asked. _

_As the man watches the woman move, he began to remember the incident a few years back. 'Oyuki, there was a time where I encountered a demon...a demon in the snow," he whispered. _

_Oyuki seemed silent for a while and Mai held her breath._

_A scream escaped the man's lips when his wife turned. Her face was distorted and it was that of the demon he encountered few years ago. "You spoke, I told you not to tell anyone about it!" she hissed, she grabs the man's neck._

"_Spare me!" the man screamed and Oyuki hissed. "If it weren't for our children I would kill you!" she shouted. She shoved the pot she was carrying and place it in the man's arms. "Hide this and I would spare you...show this to anybody and I would kill all of you!" _

_Then she vanished. _

_The scene vanished and the last thing Mai saw was the faces of the two children._

"_Mai," the smiling Naru called out to her. _

"_Is that Yuki Onna, is Oyuki the Yuki Onna!" Mai said and Naru nodded. Mai fell silent. "I don't understand..." she whispered. Naru patted Mai's head._

"_Phoenix," he whispered before disappearing. _


	10. Map of the Phoenix

In Japan the Phoenix is known as Fushicho, it literally means Immortal bird. Actually, the Phoenix did not originate from Asia, most people choose to believe that it does, but it does not, it originated from Greek and later Egypt.

In each culture the Phoenix has a different meaning. Some sees it as an resurrection, some see it as a sign of good luck and others like the Japanese, Immortal bird.

More about Yuki Onna,

In Japan culture, like in this story, Yuki Onna indeed married a man and had children with him. Two in fact...however she disappeared when the man told her about the incident where she encountered him a few years back in the snow. She told him she would kill him if it weren't for their children and then disappeared; no one has seen her since then.

Also nobody knows what happened to the children.

Phoenix represents fire and Yuki Onna snow

I just gave you a lot of information and clues.

See if you can spot than,

And now for the story,

Enjoy : )

The whispering mountain

File 10#

Map of the Phoenix

"Are you sure, you're alright?" Naru asked Mai who was carrying heavy camera equipment and walking out of the hut. Her head was wrapped in bandaged and her ankle a little bruised. Mai frowned. "Yeah, I feel great," she said. Naru glared at her and Mai turned away.

"Are you hiding something from me again, Mai?" Naru asked and Mai turned around a little too quickly. "No!" she said and Naru's eyes narrowed.

"Shit," Mai told herself, before patting Bou-san. "Come on, we need to set up these cameras," she said.

"Mai, are you sure your ready to work," Bou-san said once they were safely out of Naru's hearing range. Mai pouted. "Aw, come on, stop worrying about me, I'm fine, I don't feel sick, I don't feel like I'm dying, so please." She said, "That idiot Naru kept me in the hut for 2 precious days and it's boring me!"

Bou-san sniggered, "That means, he cares, Mai," Bou-san said. Mai glared at the monk, "Naru and caring do not mix, Naru and torture, sounds more right," she said loudly. Bou-san took the heavy camera from Mai and he smirked at her.

"Whatever you say," he said. Mai had a sudden urge to wipe that smug look of Bou-san's face.

"So we're supposed to place this camera in the temple..." Bou-san said and Mai nodded, "However, we need to get permission from the village chief..." she said.

"Hmm," Bou-san walked on.

"You know what bothers me about this village," Bou-san said, Mai shook her head.

"Something about it feels off, the villagers...something about the way the villagers act feel off...and remember the curse the village chief told us the first day," Bou-san continued.

"You mean the one with the Phoenix and the curse is immorality..."

"So what about it?"

"Well, since ancient times the Phoenix has been depicted as an ancient legendary creature, if you happen to chance upon it, boundless good luck would befall on you," Bou-san said, "This saying has been passed down since ancient times."

"It says to bring you good luck and a long prosperous life...so Mai tell me, why did the villagers shoot down the Phoenix when it brings good luck to the people, why?"

"Wait, Bou-san the curse...what was it again," Mai asked. Bou-san looked at her in disbelief. "Don't tell me you forgot about it!?"

"Of course I did not!" Mai said, "It's just that...well with all the things going about the Yuki Onna and...Well...I hit my head on the rock...and the bone collector...and Maki Nishimura...well I just kind of..."

"Forgot," Bou-san said completing her sentence and Mai blushed. "Ok, so I forgot, so what!" she exclaimed. Bou-san placed his full palm on Mai's head. "Then I shall remind you," he said.

"One day the dead would not die but roam for an eternity, when the first head rolls, second bodies vanish from the depts., thirdly all would burn, fourth waters will flood, fifth, she would take and last of all, people would never die but live in forms forever scarred." '

Mai listened to all of these and she frowned. "Bou-san, the curse..." she whispered, her eyes widened.

'It's happening, the curse is happening," she said. Bou-san sighed and hit the girl's injured head gently.

"Of course, we all already know that, I can't believe you forgot about it."

Mai pouted. "You did not get injured, all you did was sit in the hut and read and read and read," she said.

"At least I found some information about this village..."

"Were they useful?" Mai retorted and Bou-san scratches his chin. "Well, maybe..."

"HA!" Mai shouted at him and Bou-san clenched his fist. "The whispering tunnel, that might be something interesting, if we can find it then maybe..."

Mai was about to retort when she paused.

"Bou-san...what whispering tunnel?" she asked.

"A whispering tunnel, one of the legends around here, says if you find it death is futile." Bou-san said. Mai places her hand over her mouth. "I found it!" she shouted.

* * *

"You want to drive the bone collector out," Ayako said to Lin, who nodded. Ayako glance sideways at the silent Chinese man. He was looking down into the deep hole where Mai fell from.

"Are you mad," Ayako whispered and Lin-san turned to her. "Orders from Naru," he said. Ayako sighed. Sure, Ayako found Lin-san attractive but she wasn't comfortable with him. So why did that bratty Naru place her with Lin-san.

"It is not in this hole anymore," Lin-san said. He whistled and white orb like things emerged from the hole and entered another deep hole.

'What are you going to do when you find it?" Ayako asked casually. Lin-san looked at her, his serious eyes boring into her. She looked away.

'I'm going to kill it," he said. Ayako shivered.

"Found it," he said.

"That fast," Ayako said and Lin-san raised his hand.

Purple gas emerged from the hole and Ayako gasped. "Cover your nose, its poisonous," Lin-san said. Ayako did not need a second telling. She backed off from the hole. Lin-san raised his hands and a 5 brilliant red orbs travelled down into the hole.

The gas disappeared as sudden as it came and a growl emerged from the hole. Ayako almost screamed when a giant skeleton emerged from the hole.

It was unlike anything she had seen before.

Mai was in the hole with this thing. Ayako shivered.

That Mai was one brave soul.

Lin blew out and a high pitched sound escaped his lips. The skeleton turned and faltered back as the five red orbs ran through its body. There was a bright light and Ayako shut her eyes tight then it was gone. Lin-san sighed deeply and Ayako went up to him.

'Is it killed?" she asked. Lin-san nodded before looking at the smoking ground.

Ayako jumped in horror.

"Bones," she said.

Lin-san picked one up.

"Human bones," he said.

* * *

John Brown, 18 years old from Australia and for the first time in his life was feeling pressurised. Maki and Naru sat opposite each other, both not talking and each looking at each other as if waiting for something to happen.

What happened to the John Brown from America? John Brown cursed under his breath and realising that he had cursed, ask for forgiveness from God.

He shouldn't be cursing, it was wrong.

Maybe he should start up a conversation, maybe he should do something. He remembered Mai and he smiled. He should imitate her.

"So..." he said, "Nice weather isn't it?"

The tensed silence was broken and now Maki and Naru were looking at John.

"Eh, yes nice weather," Naru said and he reached into his pocket and pulled out the two small white bones. "These are human bones," he said. Maki reached out and looked at it. "You do know what this means, do you?" Naru asked.

"Obviously," Maki said and place the two bones down.

"It means the bodies did not simply vanish," she said. John noticed Naru smirking and noticed Maki pulling her goggles over her eyes.

Somebody, save him.

"Happy Potter and the Philosophers stone," Maki said and Naru nodded. "I have found out what it means, well maybe," she said.

"Continue," Naru said.

"In the book the Philosophers stone was said to give you Immorality," Maki continued, "So if Norio the treasure hunter kept repeating that, it proves that he saw searching for something...something like the Philosophers stone, that was why his team came here, to find this Philosophers stone...an immorality stone."

"And since they are treasure hunters, it actually makes sense," Maki said.

"Do you know what a Phoenix is?" Maki asked and Naru grinned fakely.

"I know, actually more than you."

John sensed sparks in the air. He did not like this meeting one bit. He wanted to run out of this room. These two were not being friendly with each other; they were silently fighting with each other.

"Phoenix represents good luck and are often regarded as heavenly creatures..." Naru said, "They are said to be able to live for long period of times...because of a certain stone, a certain red stone."

"Fukyuu stone," Maki said and Naru smiled.

"Well, it seems you are educated," he told her. John noticed Maki trembling in anger but instead of bursting out she smirked.

"It seems you are too," she said and the two of them broke out laughing. A very strained laugh, John noted.

John has never seen Naru act this way before. It was almost childish. John realised...that Naru seemed to be fighting with Maki...he did not want to lose.

"So...let's just say this stone is here, in the village," Maki said and Naru turned to face her. This time the two of them were serious. "How do you know that?" Naru asked. Maki reached into her pocket this time and pulled out a very brown paper. She places it in front of Naru.

'It appears to be a map," she said, "To the Fukyuu stone."

John gasped and Naru took it up.

"How did you get this?" he asked.

"I search the victim's belongings." She said. Naru faced Maki, "You do realise what this means, don't you?" he said and Maki nodded.

"I suggest we watch each other's backs," she said and Naru nodded agreeing with her.

"What is happening Naru?" John asked.

Naru turned to John, folded the map and places it in his pocket and shrugged.

He did not answer.

Like always.


	11. Frog in the hole

So have any of you figured out what is going on?

Do you see a connection?

I shall give you a clue...

Why is chemistry important, huh? : )

So anyway enjoy this chapter.

The whispering mountain

File 11#

Frog in the hole

"Shoot me senseless, Mai, this is amazing!" Bou-san shouted. Both of them were standing at the edge of the hole. Ayako and Lin who had questioning looks on their faces stood behind Mai and Bou-san.

"What are you looking at?" Ayako demanded and glared at the monk who turned to face her. "I'm trying to think woman, so could you please move further away," he said. Ayako punched the monk's right shoulder hard and he cried out as he lost his balance.

"Bou-san!" Mai screamed and grabs him. They both fell to the ground, missing the hole by a few mille- meters.

"You could have KILLED me!" Bou-san shouted at Ayako who turned away snorting.

"Enough!" Mai shouted at both adults who were quarrelling childishly.

"So," Lin-san soft but audible voice broke through Ayako and Bou-san squabbles. "What were you looking for?"

Bou-san remembered and turned back to look into the hole again, he spotted the small tunnel entrance and he whistled.

"Lin-san, there was a legend in this village; it started about 400 years ago. The legend was something about a whispering tunnel, if you heard whispers coming out from it you are said to die."

Lin-san frowned, "What has that got to do with the case?"

Bou-san was stunned for a moment before he sighed. "You're right," he said and stood up.

"I...heard...whispers..." Mai said.

The three adults looked at the girl stunned. "Then why aren't I dead?" Mai whispered. "I heard whispers...something about somebody going to be killed, or somebody going to kill something...I don't know, the whispers were...muffled...like it was from faraway..."

Bou-san walked closer to Mai and patted her head. "Would you rather be dead?" he asked and Mai shook her head. Ayako smiled and grabs Mai's hand. "Then let's go back, since we're done with our jobs..."

Ayako trailed off she was peering at another deep hole. "Isn't that another one of those whispering tunnels!" she exclaimed. Lin-san walked over to her and peered into the second hole, she was right there was another one of those small tunnel entrances.

Lin-san walked to the third deep hole, which was the last hole and found that there was also one of the small tunnel entrances.

"Well, this is too much of a coincidence isn't it?" Bou-san said appearing behind Lin-san. "Are the tunnels connected?" Ayako asked.

"Didn't say anything about connecting tunnels in the document I found," Bou-san replied.

"Hmm..." Mai said.

"We found human bones in the hole, and now three whispering tunnel entrances...this is all very weird, does this have something to do with the vanishing bodies," Mai said.

"Small human bones, Mai, the human bones Lin and I found were all small and worn out it was as if something was rubbing itself over the bones over and over again turning it into smooth small white pieces." Ayako corrected Mai.

Mai peered into the third hole and shivered. Something struck her, "Ayako...Masako said something about melting...melting right," she said and Ayako nodded. Mai peeled her gaze from her hole. There was something missing, there was suppose to be a link, a link somewhere but she was not getting it.

Just a little more...just a little more and she could get it...what was it, what was the link!

"Anyway, it's getting colder so I suggest we all head back," Bou-san said, he patted Mai and lead her away from the holes and the grave yard.

"Should we inform Naru about this?" Bou-san asked Lin who shook his head.

"Naru has something else he needs to do," Lin replied.

"Like what!" Mai exclaimed and Lin shook his head. Mai clenches her teeth and turned to Bou-san and through gritted teeth said, "There you have it Bou-san, if Naru keeps his secrets than we would hide our information from him."

Lin-san raised his hand to his lips, concealing a small smile.

* * *

"How is it going Masako-san?" Yasuhara-san called out to Masako who was having much difficulty moving through the thick archives of the town's historical records.

"Masako, look out!" Yasuhara-san shouted. He ran towards her and pushes her away and dodges just in time as a load of old scribes came crashing down. Masako made a slight tsking noise.

"So dirty," she muttered.

Yasuhara-san laughs nervously. He never had a chance to work alone with Masako before and wanted to know what was it like, to be honest he preferred Mai better. Masako moves out of the fallen scribes and went towards Yasuhara-san.

"Tell me," she said in a lady like manner, "What are we doing here?"

"Naru wanted as to get some information about this Yuki Onna, and the history of the town...well since the town's elder gave us permission to read these important archives than I suppose it's alright."

Masako sighed and helped the boy up.

'Thanks," he said and looked at the fallen scribes, "even if this is a forgotten village, I guess it still has lots of history."

"It's like finding a needle in a hay stack," he said again laughing.

Masako glared at him, silencing him and she went over to the fallen scribes. "What is this?" she asked picking out a parchment and unrolling it. Yasuhara-san went over to join her and his eyes widened.

"This is a painting, oh my god, this is a painting from the Tensho era," he whispered. "This painting is more than 5000 years old...and look at the condition, its perfect, this could be sold for millions no maybe billion of dollars!" he exclaimed.

Masako waved his remark away. "Shouldn't we be looking at the picture and not the value of this piece," she said and Yasuhara-san grabs the parchment from her and stared at it.

"Funny though, this painting depicts a war..." he whispered, "However there were no wars at that time...maybe small ones...but this...wait it's a war between two tribes." He said.

Masako grabs the parchment back from him and stares at it. "Hey you're right," she said looking at the pictures.

"Those people wearing blue...they are the people from this tribe aren't they?" Masako whispered and Yasuhara-san took a closer look at the parchment. "Hmm...Then who are the people wearing red?"

Masako and Yasuhara-san looked at each other.

"The Tensho era was from 1131 to 1132," Masako said and Yasuhara nodded.

"So if we find documents from this Era, we might find something," Yasuhara-san continued.

"Wait, Yasuhara-san aren't we're suppose to find the documents for Yuki Onna," Masako said and Yasuhara-san lifted the parchment.

"Look at the left hand side of the parchment where the blue people are," he said and Masako gasped. There was Yuki Onna, there was no doubt about it, and the white woman was standing with the blue clad people.

"Now look at the red clad people," he said and Masako saw a fiery bird flying above them.

"Doesn't this ring a bell," Yasuhara-san said and Masako stared at the parchment a little while longer.

As she had suspected, something was not quite right with this village.

* * *

"You want to have a look at the pictures of the dead old woman who was beheaded by the Yuki Onna," the detective asked Naru who nodded.

'Why?"

"Because, there is something I need to confirm," Naru said getting irritated. The detective frowned. "Honestly, you and Maki are two of a kind," he said sighing and he stood up, went over to his table and opened it.

Naru raised his eye brow when he retrieved a brown envelope from it.

'All the details concerning the case and the murdered victims are in here, I'll lend it to you for one night," he said and handed it to Naru who took it.

Naru smirked and took the envelope.

"Detective I must thank you for letting me do this case," he said and the detective rubbed his head embarrassed.

"It is becoming very interesting," he whispered lifting the brown envelope, "and dangerous."


	12. one little two little three little fire

Man I really out did myself, writing this chapter was awesome...for me of course.

Anyway enjoy.

The whispering mountain

File 12#

One little...two little...three little...fire

"Maki, please tell me again, why?" John asked his partner who was digging in the grave site itself. She was in one of the holes and she had a shovel in her hand.

"Shut up and for once help me," she said and John gave an exaggerated sigh. If he was in America right now he would be resting, resting peacefully with the flowers and the clouds. No, he had to be here stuck in the most morbid place in history digging up god knows what.

"You know Maki, normal girls don't dig around in the dirt, they go for tea parties, they talk politely and they are sweet and kind," he told the red headed tom boy freak.

"Then go back home, go, and have tea with your lovely girl friends," Maki said. She said it with a cool tone but John sensed a tinge of sarcasm in her voice and he smiled.

"Jealous," he said.

Maki slammed the shovel into the soil again and glared at him. Her eyes were hidden behind her goggles therefore John couldn't see what laid behind them. Maki was really good in hiding her emotions.

"I am not jealous, now could you help me," she said irritated and John sighed jumping into the hole with his shovel and started to dig too.

"Maki I have no idea what we're supposed to be looking for just digging meaninglessly is stupid," he said.

Maki did not answer him and finally after 30 minutes stopped digging. From her pocket she pulled out two white gloves and a plastic packet. She reached out and place some of her dug out soil into the plastic and sealed it tight. She then pulled out the gloves and threw it aside.

"That is littering," John scolded her and he picked it up.

Maki slapped John's hand and he dropped the gloves.

'Don't touch them," she said.

"But you just littered," he whined.

"Just...don't touch them," she said.

"Ok, let's get out of here," she said and John sighed.

He smirked as the short girl tried to climb her way out of the hole without any success. "Do you need help, oh princess," he said.

"Shut up, girl boy!" Maki said to him and John noticed she was blushing furiously.

"I shall ask again do you need help oh princess, oh tsundere princess," he said and Maki back flipped him in the hole.

He hit the sides of the hole and yelped in pain. "Ok, ok I'm sorry," he moaned standing up.

"I'll help you up," he said and lifted her. Maki struggled but grab on to the edge of the hole pulling herself up. John sighed and was about to leave when he heard it.

He turned, there were strange whispers coming from within the hole itself. He turned 360 degrees and was shocked to find a small tunnel entrance. It was so small all John could do was fit his right fist in there but it was startling. Then he heard whispers again and John began to shiver.

"_Kill...our...you know...happen...if we...deadline,"_

"What is happening," John whispered. The whispers were coming from the hole itself.

"John!" Maki said and she reached out to his outstretch hand and pulled him up.

John looked at Maki and back at the hole.

"I don't understand anymore," he said, "This village."

He glanced at Maki who stood up. Her fist was clenched, her left arm holding the plastic with the soil inside.

"This village is-"

* * *

**One day the dead would not die but roam for an eternity, when the first head rolls, second bodies vanish from the depts., thirdly all would burn, fourth waters will flood, fifth, she would take and last of all, people would never die but live in forms forever scarred.**

* * *

"I have found it!' Yasuhara-san shouted, he pulled out six scrolls from a dark and mouldy spot and moved towards Masako who was leaning over another dark and mouldy spot of the archive room.

"This is why we must never keep archives in a small and cramped up hut," Masako muttered furiously, "All the documents become mouldy and wet."

Masako was in a bad mood, they wasted all morning shifting through the stacks of paper and they only found six scrolls. She lifted her kimono sleeves to her nose and pulled it back. Her kimono now stinks.

"Ok open them," she told Yasuhara who was already doing so. He opened the first scroll and Masako peered at it. She frowned; it was in a language they could not understand.

They opened the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth...they were all in languages they could not understand. Masako almost strangled Yasuhara-san in frustration but held herself. She will not lose her temper; she would not turn into Mai.

Yasuhara-san opened the sixth scroll and this time it contained only 5 words but it was in readable Japanese kanji.

Masako snorted, "Great, one scroll that is readable but contains so little," she said.

"What does it say?" she asked Yasuhara-san who was peering at the scroll intrigued. "Funny, it says, "Atashi rai o haka arufa."

"HUH!" Masako said.

"I lie in grave alpha," Masako said. "What the hell is that?"

Yasuhara-san sighed and stood up.

"We should deliver this to Naru...and maybe have Maki...come join us in analysing it."

When Masako heard the name Maki she frowned. She remembered the red head and the quirky American boy with the blond hair, there was something about the girl. Something about her that she couldn't place.

Something that she was supposes to remember.

Something that they were all supposes to remember.

"Hey," Yasuhara-san said, his voice held urgency and he was serious now, his face did not hold his irritating smile. "Don't you smell that," he said and Masako lifted her head.

Smoke burnt the inside of her nose and she gasped.

"Why is it getting so hot in here?" Yasuhara-san whispered.

**One day the dead would not die but roam for an eternity, when the first head rolls, second bodies vanish from the depts., thirdly all would burn, fourth waters will flood, fifth, she would take and last of all, people would never die but live in forms forever scarred.**

"Fire!" Masako whispered, 'Fire!" she shouted.

'The hut is burning and we're trapped inside!" she shouted.

_**thirdly all would burn**_

* * *

"Naru!" Mai shouted running over to the boy who looked up from the map Maki had given him. He saw Mai's worried and panicked face and he stood up sensing something wrong.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

Then he smelt it, the smoke, something was burning, there was no doubt about it. He stood up and went towards Mai.

"What happened?" he asked her.

"One of the villagers archives hut is burning," Mai shouted at him, "and Yasuhara-san and Masako is inside!"

Naru felt his heart drop and along with Mai they ran. Was it the curse? Or was it human? Did somebody start the fire...because there was no way a fire could naturally start in the cold winter snow?

When he reached the scene he stopped. A fire surrounded the hut and it's flames were reaching the sky. The villagers were all panicking and they were all trying to put out the fire. Naru saw the other teams the detective hired all standing around gawking. Mai was standing beside Naru shivering, then all of a sudden the girl reached into the snow scoop out a large amount of it and dumped it into her jacket. Before Naru could stop her she raced into the fire.

Naru let out a wordless cry.

"MAI!" he shouted as the girl disappeared into the flames. Naru cursed and looked around. There had to be something, something he could use.

He found it a big bucket. He ran over to it and scoop out large amounts of snow to it.

"Everybody help!" he shouted and threw the snow into the blazing hut.

Mai...be safe!

* * *

Mai yelped as a falling wooden pole fell to the ground. The fire was hot and blazing quickly. The snow in her jacket wouldn't keep her moist for long.

'Masako!" she shouted and yelped again as another pole came crashing down. Mai fell to the ground and winced as the heat from the fire burnt her hands.

"Masako!" Mai shouted again and dodged just in time as a shelf of bring papers crashed down onto the floor. Mai turned. This was bad, their entrance way was blacked.

Mai coughed violently, the black smoke was becoming thicker and thicker. She cried out as a small pot burst and sent clay shards flying in all directions, one of the shards hit Mai's cheek giving her a nasty scratched.

'Masako, dam you, answer me!" she shouted.

There was a groaning sound above her and Mai felt the pit of her stomach dropped. The groaning sound got louder and louder and when Mai realised what was happening it was already too late. The burning ceiling...

Was crashing down...

Heading towards her.

Mai screamed.

* * *

**One day the dead would not die but roam for an eternity, when the first head rolls, second bodies vanish from the depts., thirdly all would burn, fourth waters will flood, fifth, she would take and last of all, people would never die but live in forms forever scarred.**

* * *

"MAI!"

Mai opened her eyes and was shocked to see Naru above her. He was screaming her name and his face was black and smudge with smog. She got up and found herself in the snow.

"Naru, I can't find Masako and Yasuhara!" she shouted at Naru. She struggled to get out of his grip.

Naru gripped her even more tightly. "They are safe, they got out of the house already," he said.

"No, Naru, they are still inside!" she shouted. Naru just gripped her tighter.

"Mai," he said. His voice was sad and filled with defeat and Mai feared the inevitable has happen.

"Naru! No we got to safe them! They are still inside!" she shouted.

"Mai!" Naru shouted, "We cannot save them anymore!"

"They are dead."

* * *

How you wish there was a next chapter, right now, doncha.


	13. Dead or Alive

I apologise for the long wait. Firstly I was out enjoying myself because my o level (fit for the devils) was over. Secondly, Korea really is a nice place isn't it. And thirdly, I had a writer's block.

So here is the 13 chapter, if you have already forgotten half of the story here is a re-cap---Masako and Yasuhara-san are dead.

Who can forget that, seriously...?

The whispering mountain

File 13#

Dead or alive

"What do you mean you cannot find their bodies?" Bou-san shouted at the detective. Naru was beside the monk looking at the charred wreckage of what used to be the document hut. The fire had killed both Masako and Yasuhara-san. They were in the basement when it happened and the building had collapsed.

"Bou-san calm down," he said. Bou-san rounded on the teen.

"Don't you care at all, Masako and Yasuhara-san are dead!" he shouted. Tears were threatening to fall from Bou-san's eyes and he turned around. Naru clenched his fist. Of course he cared, what did these people think he was? A robot?

He wasn't good with his emotions and that was all.

"We've cleared the charred basement," a very tired Lin said. He had been helping the villagers as they picked their way through the burnt down house. The village elder looked dejected and lost.

"8 murders..." the detective whispered, "Or a curse," he said. Naru stared at the detective.

"Frankly..." the detective whispered, "I don't know anymore."

* * *

"_Violent woman," _

"_Mai you irritate me,"_

"_MAI!"_

Mai sat at the edge of their hut, peering out of the window. Ayako and John were with her and each was mourning in their own way. John had curled himself into a ball and sat at a corner. Ayako was wailing furiously, her sobs filled the room. Mai couldn't cry anymore, all she did was sat looking out of the window at the white snow.

Masako...how could she die...this felt so unreal...

How could the girl possibly be dead? The girl Mai always fought with, the girl who she enjoyed quarrelling with, the girl who looked like she didn't care but she did. That girl who left her...here.

Yasuhara-san, the guy who was always smiling. The guy who treated her kindly and helped the team out in many ways. He had a long future ahead of him and yet...he was dead. What would they tell his parents?

"Do you think they died a painless death?" Mai whispered. She felt empty somehow. She was half expecting for Masako to march into the hut and told her to pull herself together. Ayako gave another loud sob.

It was over...the ghost hunt team dream...

Without Masako or Yasuhara-san, this team would never be the same again.

Mai turned out to stare at the snow, and one word flashed into her head.

_Yuki Onna._

* * *

"The villagers wish to offer their condolence," Lin-san told Naru and Naru nodded.

"We would go after they did the funeral," Naru said. He had no plans in hanging on to this case anymore. If a curse was really here or a strange demented soul who murders then there was no reason to stay on this case ago.

Especially when the others were also placed in trouble. Naru remembered how recklessly Mai had entered the burning hut and he shook his head. They had to go home...before another one of them got killed.

"This is unlike you Naru," Lin-san told the boy.

Naru looked at his guardian and he turned away. Yes, even Lin-san, no matter how powerful he was, was in danger. He cannot let anyone die...anyone important to him.

"We're going home," he said more firmly.

* * *

"They are really dead," John whispered and Mai heard him. Mai felt like reaching out and comforting the young Australian boy but she did not. She felt numb inside. She had hoped...hope that they would appear both Masako and Yasuhara; walk into the main hut where the funeral was taking place. However that would never happen. The portraits in front proved that. Masako and Yasuhara-san were dead.

There were no coffins because nobody could find the bodies of Masako and Yasuhara-san. They must have been burnt away by the fire and turned into ashes. Their portraits stood on a white clothed table and various offerings were on the table.

This was like her mother's funeral. She was re-living a nightmare again. Mai clutches her fist tightly, staring at the two portraits. For some reason, she was angry. Why did this happen? Why did the two of them die? Damm you Masako didn't you have supernatural powers?

For some reason...she couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept their death.

Naru appeared behind her and placed one hand on her right shoulder squeezing it. Mai felt his warm touch and tears rolled down from her eyes. She wanted to cry, she wanted to cry until she dried out, but she couldn't.

Beside the ghost hunt team were John and Maki, they had both came and they were both wearing black. John from America was crying, he wasn't afraid to show it though. Snot was running down his nose, if it weren't for the situation Mai would have laughed at him. Maki had on an expressionless face and a somewhat furious one.

The other teams at the site were from the other detective and ghost hunt teams. They all came to pay their respects. Mai don't know whether to feel grateful to them or not. This was all messed up. This was so messed up.

8 people had died and there was nothing they could do with it. 8 people murdered and many more had disappeared. What was going on? Mai felt so frustrated she wanted to do something; she wanted to scream until she was hoarse at the detective, who brought them here. She wanted to run towards the village chief and asked him why he let Masako and Yasuhara-san die, why he was late in putting out the fire.

She wanted to scream at Naru for not trying to find out what happen to Masako and Yasuhara-san and heading home.

The village head went up to the front and he spoke. "We have here two very brave young people who have died in vain. We might not know them but the village would always remember them, they were people who have helped the village unravel some of its mysteries, we are forever indebted to these young people. The treasure hunters who had came to the village we also offer up our condolences."

"Would one of their friends step up to say a few words," the village chief said. Naru nudges Mai. Mai glared at him. He had told her before the funeral to prepare the speech, however Mai had only one thing in her mind right now.

She walked up to the front.

"Screw it all," she said as she reached the front, shocking the entire crowd that had gathered for the funeral.

The village chief was stunned when Mai turned to Masako's picture and punches it. "You idiot, come out of this stinking portrait!"

"Mai!" Naru and Bou-san were onto her but Mai wouldn't get away from Masako's portrait. "You are suppose to call me an idiot, idiot! Why did you go first! You have supernatural powers for a reason, use them!"

"Mai!" Naru scolded her.

Mai felt uncontrollable tears rolling down her eyes.

"Mai, they are dead!" Naru shouted.

A laugh rang through the main hut and Maki stood up. She had her goggles on and walked towards the front. She pulled Naru off Mai and lifted Mai up.

"Are you trying to run away," she asked Naru. Naru glared at the red head. "Are you trying to run away?"

Naru did not answer. "Let me tell you something, not finding the cause of your friend's murder and going home is running away," she said.

"Do you understand?"

Naru could have punched the living lights out of the girl.

"I am a leader and I have no right to put my group in anymore danger," he said calmly.

"Anyway, they are dead." He said coldly.

Maki patted Mai's head and pushed her towards Naru.

"How do you know that," she said, "You have not found their bodies, haven't you."

"But..."

"You have not found their bodies," Maki said in a louder voice, "What makes you think they are dead? Until you find prove that they are dead then they aren't simple."

Mai realised Naru was shivering. Shivering in anger. He gently pushed Mai away walked towards Maki and punched her. Mai was shocked. She had never seen Naru that angry before. Maki didn't flinch didn't even look away.

"They are dead!" he shouted at Maki. "Can't you understand that?"

"Then explain that," Maki said, a smirk cracking up on her bruised face. She was pointing at the entrance of the main hut and a loud gasp broke through the crowd.

"Could you all at least bother to look for us before giving us a funeral," Masako's irritated voice broke through the main hut.

"Why do you all look so surprise," Maki said. "I told you, you haven't found their bodies yet."

Masako and Yasuhara-san was standing at the entrance of the hut, their clothes a little blackened but very much alive.

Now Mai felt stupid for crying.

You didn't really think I would kill off my favourite character would I. I added a little drama into this chapter, next chapter would be full blown horror.


	14. People who lie have no head

Ok, added the new chapter and would continue to do so. Well update like a roller coaster. Anyway, added some horror scenes in this, but do not know if it's scary; please tell me if it is.

Enjoy

The whispering mountain

File 14#

People who lie about their past have no head

"We were surrounded by the flames," Masako explained once they reached their designated hut and the funeral stopped. Mai was clutching on to Masako's long, burnt out kimono sleeves, afraid that the girl in front of her might disappear again.

Masako was clearly irritated and kept tugging on the sleeves to made the bull headed girl let go.

"And," Naru said.

Masako turned to Yasuhara-san, "Maki and John saved us, they rushed into the hut with a fire extinguisher, god knows where they got it from and saved us," Yasuhara-san explained. Naru frowned. "And they didn't tell us," he whispered.

"Naru, I think we need to show you something," Masako said, before tugging her sleeves hard and forcing Mai to let go.

Mai was about to reach out to grab Masako sleeves again when Masako glared at the girl. "Stop it, I'm not dead yet!"

"You're still alive...right," Mai whispered, "You're not some supernatural thing right."

Masako almost screamed at the girl but held herself. "No, I'm not, if I were dead, the first thing I would do is haunt you every night," Masako said and Mai frowned. "I was worried, there is no need to be mean," she shouted at Masako and stood up, walked out of the hut and slammed the door.

"Why is she being overly dramatic?" Masako said, sitting down. Bou-san hit the girl's head gently, it was the first time he did that. "After this, apologise to Mai, she was very worried," he said. Masako opened her mouth to protest but stopped and hung her head not because she was ashamed of herself but from exhaustion. Mai...she thought to herself, you are one troublesome girl.

"Why isn't she worried about me?" Yasuhara-san said, stunning the team. Naru places a finger on his forehead to conceal his irritation.

"So, what must you tell me," he said. Yasuhara-san turned serious and handed Naru the files they had managed to retrieve from the burning building.

"Atashi rai o haka arufa." Naru said, "I lie in grave alpha?"

Yasuhara-san nodded, "It would seem that that was the only document written in Japanese."

Naru sighed. "Also..." Masako said, "When Maki and John rescued us, they brought us into their hut...Yasuhara-san and I did some snooping-"

Yasuhara-san was glaring at Masako and Masako held out her hands to him, "Ok, ok, I did some snooping and found this."

She lifted up a sheet of paper on it was Masako's neat hand writing. "Maki and John aren't you're average teen detective...I guess Naru you have already know that...and...They have a lot of secrets...for one thing, Maki's real name is not Maki, it's Yuko Harada and John, his name is real alright...but..."

Naru stared at the paper unable to believe it, "His an expert riffle shooter." He whispered.

* * *

Mai sat outside the hut's ledge. She felt the snow seeping into her clothes and shivered. The meeting was still going on inside but Mai was in no mood to listen. There was a lot to think about and a lot to straighten out.

Firstly, why was she so worried about that selfish, idiotic, stuck up Masako? And secondly...Maki and John. There was something about the two of them, something that she was suppose to remember...something.

"Yuki Onna," she whispered.

"Whisper those words and she might come out," a familiar yet irritating voice sounded behind her. Mai turned and found Masako. She had changed into a new set of kimono, it had the same design but it was new.

She saw Mai, hesitated and sat next to Mai. "Come in, it's cold out here, isn't it?" Masako said gently and Mai almost burst out laughing.

"Are you actually CARING?" Mai said in snorts. Masako blushes and stood up. "That is why I hate you," she muttered. "I bet you wish for me to be dead."

That did it Mai stopped laughing and grabs Masako's wrist so tightly it cause Masako to cry out. "Say that again and I would personally deliver you to the Sahara desert in the Middle East!"

"That would be never then," Masako said pulling her wrist out of Mai's grip, "The Sahara desert is in Africa."

"Please take up some geography lessons before you threaten someone," Masako said.

"I do know Geography," Mai shouted.

'Where is the Gobi desert situated in?" Masako asked and Mai couldn't answer.

"Huh, who was the one who said she knows Geography?" Masako said. "It's in America, by the way."

Mai smirked, "Oh America, wow, Masako, please be my teacher for Geography, I'm sure I'll get an A grade, for your information teacher, the Gobi desert is in China."

Masako fell silent and Mai smiled, "Who was the one who was an expert in Geography?"

"You trick me!" Masako muttered angrily and Mai smirked, "Same way you trick me about your death."

"Excuse me for your information I didn't trick you, you assumed that I was dead." Masako shouted. The doors of the hut slammed open and Ayako was standing at the doorway. "Well you two shut up!" she shouted and slammed the door again leaving the two girls outside.

Mai turned away from Masako and Masako watches the red head before settling down beside Mai again.

"Sorry-"she stopped and turned to face the snow. It was night but the snow was white and it reflected the figure that was standing in the distance near the snowy forest. Masako, out of instinct reached out to touch Mai's shoulder.

'Mai..." she whispered and found that Mai was also, like her, staring at the snow. Someone was shuffling near the forest, walking slowly towards them. It emitted its own light and moved sideways, right and left, right and left, as if possessed. Mai got up and Masako too did. Something about it scared Masako, something about it sent shivers down my spine.

Yuki Onna, was that figure the Yuki Onna? No...That figure was something else...it was something entirely else.

The figure moved closer and Mai and Masako backed away. They turned and reached for the hut's main door ready to open it when Mai stopped, twisting the handle only half way. It was here. It was standing behind them.

It had crossed the white expanse of snow in a few seconds and now it was standing just a few milli-meters behind them. Masako shivered tremendously and Mai stayed frozen to the ground.

"Open the door, Mai," Masako barely whispered and Mai twisted the door knob but stopped again. Every time she twisted it, the figure seemed eager...the figure seemed eager to enter the hut...it moved closer. Mai could almost see its face, it head was only a few milli-meters above her right shoulder. Mai closed her eyes and opened them again, gulping down the saliva that had formed in her mouth.

The figure was leaning closer and Mai could feel how soft and light it was...but kind of empty. It was like walking through a fine mist...that was the figure. There was a blast of wind, Mai gathered up her courage, pushed Masako aside and turned.

Eyes...blue deep eyes...blue deep empty eyes.

She was looking at a pair of eyes. It was like looking at an empty hole that goes down forever and ever...a black hole. A soft warmth breath came to her and Mai fell back onto the door, it opened a little and the eyes got bigger and the breath came more rapidly. The figure was panting like a dog. Mai closed the door shut and move sideways.

The figure did not move, it stood facing the door. Mai saw it clearly now. It seemed to have no shape, and it was clear that she could see through it. It was bald and its mouth huge, it's lower lip almost touching the ground.

Mai shivered violently and Masako gripped Mai again, this time more tightly. She was suppressing a scream. The figure faded and Mai breathe a sigh of relief then screamed. The figure had re-appeared and this time is appeared before her, facing her, lips so wide and big, as if ready to eat her up.

Masako waved her hands said some words that Mai couldn't describe, there was a bright light and the figure disappeared. Mai panted loudly and the doors of the hut opened.

"What happened?" John asked urgently when he saw the two girls on the ground; he walked towards them and felt his feet kicking something. He frowned. It felt like he was kicking a ball. He looked down and froze up, unable to move or to talk.

Bou-san came out. "What is wrong?"

John took a deep breath and turned.

"Head..." he whispered, "A human head."


	15. And I give you shockingtruth

Well I've been gone for a very long time...well read my profile and you would know why. And now I'm back and I'll be updating, yes I would, all the way till Christmas. Yes, I would and now enjoy the story.

I'll be answering a lot of questions in this chapter. Hee hee hee

The whispering mountains

File 15#

And I give you shocking...truth

"Describe the thing you saw again," Naru told Mai who banged her fist into the table. "I told you a million times, a small man like figure, with bluish skin...well greyish skin...well...I don't know how to describe the skin...it was glowing, ok, glowing like some alien like thingy," Mai said frustrated.

After the incident, the detective had taken the human head...well actually a human skull back to his own hut and was now inspecting it with great care. Naru sighed and rubbed his head. This case it was getting more and more complicated than it needs to be.

"Heard about the human skull," a calm and collected voice echoed through the hut. Naru turned and he frowned in annoyance. Maki Nishimura and the other John was standing at the entrance of their hut. Naru signalled them in.

"You called?" Maki asked him and Naru nodded. He signalled for Yasuhara-san and Lin to sit beside him. The two of them obeyed. Then from his side Naru took two documents and placed them on the table before looking at both Maki and John.

"I would like to clear up some lies," he whispered to the two of them. Maki stared at the documents on the table before smirking and pulling the goggles over her eyes. A clear sign that she didn't want her feelings to be shown. John looked at the documents and gave a loud audible gasped.

"Where...where did you get this!" he shouted at Naru, "We trusted you!?"

Naru could have snorted and threw the table at the both of them but he held himself and stared John down. "Yes, and we trusted you too," he said calmly.

"Yasuhara-san, if you may?" Naru asked the older boy, who shifted his spectacles and smiled fakely. "The second day when I was here, I had gathered up the files of all the people who were actually investigating in the village," Yasuhara-san said, "If you remembered it correctly, that was the day when somebody shot at me."

Naru noticed John fidgeting with his fingers. Maki was still smirking and Naru found this oddly annoying. "Nishimura Maki saved me...and John if I remembered you came about 15 minutes later calling out to Maki worried...if you had to ask me...Naru..."

Naru smiled and pointed to the documents to the table. "John an expert rifle shooter took lessons in America and continued to do so in Japan." Naru said. John tensed some more and stood up. "I don't need to take any of this, Maki let's get out of here." He said.

"Why are you escaping?" Naru asked, "If you have nothing to hide?"

"Naru...you..." Mai whispered shocked before staring at John.

"You shot at us...that day, you shot at us from the trees...at Yasuhara-san!" she shouted at John who looked away. "Were you trying to kill us?" Mai shouted. John looked at the documents on the table reached out and attempted to take them.

Maki places her hands on the table over the documents. Holding the documents firmly in place and she took off her goggles. Her eyes were hard and cold, filled with anger but that smirk was still on her face. "I'm impressed," she muttered and laughed.

"Since you want to know why we did it, I shall tell you," She said. She crushed the documents she had held down with her right hand and pulled it towards her.

"My real name is Yuko Harada," she said, her voice loud and strong, unwavering. She glared at Naru then took a deep breath before turning her eyes towards everyone in the room.

"Have you all heard about the story of Yuki Onna?" she asked.

"The woman who married a real man had two children with him and then left as suddenly as she came, yes I heard that...well not a woman actually, a..." before Bou-san could complete his sentence Maki interrupted him.

"Youkai," Maki said.

"That was the later part of the story, to know all about Yuki Onna we must travel back to ancient times...let's say 2000 years ago." Maki said. Naru frowned. "What has this got to do with you Maki...no, Yuko?" he asked the red haired girl, who smirked.

"Don't tell them Maki..." John from America told the girl who just shook her head.

"John, everything has been found out, there is no need to hide anymore..." she said.

"But-once-"  
"But what!?" Mai shouted.

John scratches his head in irritation. "The reason why I shot at Yasuhara-san was not to kill him, if I wanted too I would have aimed for the head...well the main reason was to keep you all from finding out the truth..."

"Those who know the truth would be placed in grave danger...you saw what happened to the treasure hunters..right..." John muttered. Maki places both her hands on the table and smirked. "Well, it would seem we can no longer hide it," she said, "Looks like you're leader wants to have a kick in this mystery," she said to Mai who grimaced.

"The Phoenix curse is indeed real," Maki said, "However it wasn't because the villagers shot it down...2000 years ago, the curse was not started because of the killing of the Immortal bird...no there was much more to that than killing the stupid bird."

"What do you mean?" Naru asked, getting irritated with the girl's roundabout way of speaking. 'Get to the point lady," Mai shouted "One Naru is enough, stop giving riddles."

Naru's irritation deepened.

"Phoenix what does it remind you off?"

Naru glanced at Maki and sighed. "The immortal bird," he said. Maki shook her head. Naru frowned. He turned to Lin who shook his head.

"Enough with the riddles!" Mai shouted. Naru snapped and glared at the hot headed girl who was subdued by Masako and Ayako. Bou-san gave a nervous smile and Naru turned back to Maki, the red haired girl who was smirking like there was no tomorrow.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked her.

John, the other John was sitting beside her, biting his lips nervously.

Naru cupped his chin and stared out of the window, watching the snow passed by. Somehow the burning fire in which burnt the basement Masako and Yasuhara was once in entered his mind.

"Phoenix..." he muttered, "And Yuki Onna..."

Maki nodded. "Fire..." Naru whispered and his eyes widened. "Snow...frozen water..."

Maki smirked and spoke, "It's a classic case," she said, "A classic case of water versus fire."

Naru signalled for Lin to bring the documents Masako and Yasuhara-san had salvage from the burning basement and fished out the painting of two tribes, each standing opposite each other. One of the tribes wore blue, and they were backed by the Yuki Onna and the other tribes wore red and they were backed by the Phoenix.

"2000 years ago..." Maki said, the smirk disappearing from her face, "There had been two tribes, each tribe had their own cult, one came from the snowy mountains, therefore Yuki Onna was their so called Guardian...the other from the forest where the Phoenix seen as their Guardian...no one knows what happened between the tribes but it happened, war broke out and many people were killed."

"Legend said that Yuki Onna and the Phoenix broke out fighting with each other. The fight lasted 1000 years and when it was finally over Yuki Onna came out victorious, it had taken the Immortal stone from the Phoenix itself. The Phoenix weak from battle was dying. Yuki Onna also badly injured decided to go into hiding and she threw the stone somewhere deep into some forest...and went to rest...marrying a man and becoming infamous around Japan."

Maki paused and took in a deep breath; she seemed to be choosing her words wisely...seemed to be hesitating. Mai was amazed, she had never heard the girl talk so long before and she had never seen the girl that afraid before.

'When Yuki Onna married...somehow or rather one of her children managed to find the immortal stone Yuki Onna had thrown away, knowing that the Phoenix would find her through the stone, Yuki Onna asked her own child to hide it and she herself fled."

Mai remembered her dream and gasped before holding her hands to her mouth. Not now...she wouldn't tell them now.

"The child and her brother lived peacefully with their father in a village...unfortunately the Phoenix found them and fighting broke out. The Phoenix was subdued and heavily wounded, the father of the two children was also killed. The two children however went to hide the stone...the Phoenix sensing the lost of its stone went on to curse the village."

Mai noticed Maki's hands shivering.

The pause Maki left was large and the silence strong.

"Maki..." the other John said to her but she shook him off.

"My real name is Yuko Harada...my great great...many great grandfather's name was Masaru Harada...he was married to Keiko Fuko..."

Maki took in a deep breath. "Yuki Onna as you know had two children one a boy and the other a girl...I was sceptical at first about this whole case...but after seeing and experiencing some of the things here I have no doubt in my mind."

"Yuki's Onna son was name Yamada Fuko...the daughter was called Keiko...Fuko..."

There was a deep gaping silence filled with shock and disbelief.

"I might be...no...I am...Yuki's Onna ancestor."


	16. Retrace and replay

People I am very sorry about my bad grammar. I would try to improve as I go along writing. Let me tell you why my Grammar is so bad. That was because when I was in primary school I didn't give a shit about Grammar, look where that landed me.

Anyway, this chapter would clear your confusion and if you are still confused then...tell me and I would explain it to you through e-mail...which would be very irritating for me.

Anyway, enjoy the story and for those who I cannot reply to, thanks for your review!

Now let's get on with the story.

The whispering mountains

File 16#

Retrace and replay

It started with the disappearing bodies. That was when the Villagers called the detective in. The detective sat in his hut. His hand holding a pen over a piece of paper on his small desk. The skull that Naru had given him this night behind him. The thought of having the skull looking at him was just unnerving.

The detective lit a cigarette and stared at the piece of paper.

First, it started with the disappearing bodies, how the bodies disappeared was a big mystery that hasn't been solved yet. Then, the death of the village wise old woman elder, who had her head cut off.

The incidents happened one day apart from each other, as if the incidents were connected. The detective wrote "disappearing bodies" and "murder of old elder" on the sheet of paper, drew a line in between them.

Third was the murder of the treasure hunters. He had met the treasure hunters on the way to Maki's office. They knew about the village even before the detective told them and that intrigued the detective. Hoping that they would be the ones able to solve the mystery of the village he invited them...well invited them to their deaths.

There were 5 of them and only one remained. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher stone," he muttered. He wrote it down on the table and drew another line connecting it to "death of elder lady"

After the treasure incidents then there was the fire. The fire that burnt down every record the village had.

The detective looked at the piece of paper leaned back and rubbed between his eyes. This was too much for him. There was only one link between the incidents and that link was that the incidents followed the curse the villages had once said. The curse planted by the Phoenix.

The detective turned and looked at the skull. Beside the skull was a packet of soil that Maki had asked him to analyse the morning before.

The detective stood up and shook his head.

"Good riddance," he whispered and took another whiff from his cigarette.

*

The silence was broken by Ayako who spoke, confused. "You're the ancestor of Yuki Onna...Yuki Onna's children were your great great great great----grandmother."

Maki nodded and Mai gasped. She remembered the dreams she had. Remembered Naru in her dreams telling her about Yuki Onna. Remembered the small boy who had found the stone, shown it to Yuki Onna and got terribly scolded.

Mai gripped her head. The children's face became clearer.

"Yamada and Keiko Fuko..." Mai whispered and turned to Maki. No, the Maki before her was not Maki Nishimura...she was Yuko Harada...not detective, no she was not. She wasn't any average detective. She was an ancestor of Yuki Onna. The Youkai in Mai's dreams.

"Mai?" Naru asked and Mai looked up. "Is anything wrong?" Naru asked again cocking his eye brow. Mai shook her head and turned to Maki. "Why are you here exactly?" she asked the girl.

"Basically when I asked Yasuhara-san to dig up information about you, you were afraid that we might found out the truth about you...so you made John shoot at Yasuhara-san and you pretended to save Yasuhara-san...but actually the bullet wasn't going for him...it was for his documents," Masako elaborated.

Maki nodded.

"That is sick," Mai muttered and John from Australia agreed.

The other John gritted his teeth and spoke," Look, we wanted to keep you out of this..."

"By what, by endangering our lives by shooting at us," Mai shouted and the other John banged his fist on the wall. "Listen, it hasn't been easy for us, ok." He said, "You don't know what Maki went through...you have no idea, so shut your trap!"

"I don't want to hear this from a rifle expert shooter who shot at us," Bou-san interrupted looking at the two of them in disgust.

"Think whatever you want," Maki spoke and this silenced the group. "My family has been suffering because of this so called 'Immortal stone'. We don't even know whether it exist, my grand parents...my great grandparents and my parents went mad trying to find this damm stone...trying to save a village that we don't even know." She said, still smirking.

"You see my family they don't want to have the blood of the villagers on their conscience list, they don't want the family to be called murderers, so they toiled and toiled and toiled. They tried to find this stone for many, many generations before the curse started..." Maki paused and took in a deep breath. The smirk from her faces disappearing.

"We had to put up with people who gave us fake stones, people who lied about where the stones was...we had to put up with sneers and shit from people who think that we are liars and said the stone didn't exist...then there were people who actually had clues on the whereabouts about the stone but every time we tried to contact them they died mysteriously...see each with their head cut off. Because of this my family was called a cursed family. My great grandparents died before they could find the stone, so did my grandparents...and my parents...they died too heartbroken..."

Mai sensed sadness in Maki's voice and felt loss. She didn't know what to say. She somehow felt guilty, guilty for saying those words before.

"I don't want you guys to die," Maki said finally, "I didn't want you guys to find out about this."

"Your story is very touching but after lying to us what makes you think we can believe you again?" Masako said, sneering at Maki/

John from America stood up and walked towards Maki taking her up. "Maki, stop, you don't need to tell everything to these guys, they don't understand." He said, angry. Mai felt the guilty feeling biting into her and she stood up blocking the main door.

"Move!" John shouted at her but she shook her head.

"Finding the stone...is it that important?" she asked Maki who hesitated.

"Finding the stone...could help us discover the truth behind the missing bodies...and also the truth behind the murders...the stone is the link," Maki said finally.

Mai glared at Maki who stared back. Mai took in a deep breath and turned to Naru who was rapping his fingers on the desk. He sighed and stood up. "Maki or Yuko whatever your real name is...if I find out your lying to me again I would personally kill you...until then...we the ghost hunt team would help you."

Masako gave a protest and Ayako snorted. Bou-san glanced wearily at John from America and John from Australia gave a nod.

"You sure," Maki asked the group after a moments of silence.

"If the stone is the key to everything....that yeah," Mai said and Maki smirked.

"I hope you guys don't die easily," she said.

Mai clenched her fist. This girl...she was really like Naru...irritating, really irritating.

*

"Back then in the Tensho Era, there had been two tribes, the Yuki tribe that came from the mountains...and the Phoenix tribe that came from the forest. The two tribes were at wars with each other. This war lasted for 1000 years." Maki explained again pointing to the portrait.

"This story was backed with records John and I found in a secluded source back in Tokyo," Maki said, placing forth old yellow documents. "These documents came from China, it would seem that one of the villagers from the tribes survived the war and escaped to China."

"Villager from which tribe?" Naru asked.

"The Yuki tribe," Maki said and pointed to the documents.

"You can read it," she said and Naru took it up. Yasuhara-san snatched it away from Naru and read it loudly for everyone to here.

"Year 1400, the war has ended, our tribe dying. I have taken my family members to the safe plains of lands across the sea. It is peaceful here, the monsters and wars that had taken place long gone behind us." He read.

"It says here that the monsters fought between the tribes causing thousands of deaths. The monsters here are described as a giant fiery bird and a long elongated white woman."

"Now, what about this village, where did this village pop out from?" Maki asked and the team shook their heads. They didn't know. Maki produced another document and allowed Yasuhara-san to read it out aloud.

"The soil in the mountains here are fertile and the crops are growing well. The Mongolians had chased us away from the peaceful plains of China. Here in the mountains we are safe and we would be safe here," Yasuhara-san read.

"Ok, so this survivor from this Yuki tribe went to China with other survivors but their descendents came back to Japan because of the Mongolian invasion," Bou-san said and Maki nodded. Mai rubbed her head. She was a little confused. History was not really her favourite subject.

"This village was part of the Yuki tribe...the descendents of the village were all from the Yuki tribe," Masako said realising it.

"Wait there is more...look at this part," Maki said pointing to the other side of the document. Yasuhara-san flipped it and began to read it out aloud, "We have accepted three stranger from outside our tribe today. The three strangers were one older man and two children. The man appears to be the father of the two children, one boy and one girl. They are very friendly people and are greatly welcomed into this village."

"Yuki Onna's children and husband!" Mai shouted and Maki nodded.

"This is where the stone came into the village...and now it's missing," Maki said. She closed the files. "From the children arrival to the time when the Phoenix was killed the children had hidden the Immortal stone...and it is here, I am sure...in this village."

Maki pulled out a map from her pocket. The map she had stolen from the dead treasure hunters. "I am very sure." She said.

* * *

Next chapter prepare for action and mind blowing horror. Please prepare for it : ) I suggest you read it in the morning.


	17. Symbols of death

Sorry for the long wait. I had so much to do. So here's the 17th chapter. Please enjoy : )

If it's not scary please don't kill me.

The whispering mountain

File 17#

Symbols of death

"I have no clue what we're doing?" Masako complained as they trudge down a steep grassy slope a few meters away from the village. Mai sighed and propped the video camera she was holding on her shoulders. She then turned to Naru who was standing beside Maki looking at the map. She snorted. Somehow she felt…

"Mai, stop!" John from America called out to her and she did so.

"Why are we doing this?" Mai asked Bou-san who was beside her and Bou-san shrugged looking at Naru and Maki. "Cause they asked us too," he answered and Mai slammed the camera's retort stand onto the ground, set the video camera on it and marched towards MaKi and Naru.

Three hours ago Maki and Naru had asked for Mai, Bou-san, Masako and Ayako to grab some cameras and torchlight and head out. Lin, John from Australia and Yasuhara were back in the hut, now home base and looking through the documents Masako and Yasuhara-san brought back from the burning inferno that almost killed them.

Mai still had no idea what the cameras were for and they had been placing the cameras down on the ground, adjusting them and lifting them again for three hours continuosly. What made it more fustrating was that Maki and Naru still hadn't told them what the hell they were doing. Maki was beginning to suspect that there was no reason for this. It was just all Maki's and Naru's ploy to keep them busy.

"What are we doing!?" Mai asked Naru once she reached them. She stared at the map and found herself looking at a very complicated structure. Her mind begin to spin and she stumbled back a bit. Naru caught her and glared at her. "Get back to your position!" he ordered but Mai shook her head. "I'm not going too until you tell me what we're doing!"

Naru placed his finger on his fore head and sighed. He turned to Masako wishing that the girl could calm this hot headed red head down. Masako looked at him snorted and turned away. Now Naru felt that he could kill people.

Even the kinomo wearing girl is angry with him. He turned to Bou-san who was sniggering at him. No good, this was get him no where.

"See this map," he said starting and Mai nodded. It was a complext structure. At the top right hand corner were faded ancient chinese words but they iver lapped each other so there was no way it could be read. In the middle of the map was a huge green spot, that would be forested mountain where the village was in. exiting the huge green spot was a slope, a huge forested slope where they were at now. This slope seems to be leading to a cave of some sort, but up till now they weren't able to locate this cave.

After the cave there was a huge blank spot on the map itself. The map ended here. It was a confusing puzzle and Naru was determined to solve it.

However to solve this puzzle they needed to find this cave. Therefore setting up video cameras in different direction would give them a better view of the slope they were on and maybe, just maybe they might be able to find the cave.

What bothered Naru wasn't finding the cave though, it was the huge blank spot after the cave and it was bothering him like Mai, irritating Mai.

Once he explained this to Mai she got back to work, cursing of course, but she did it with so much more vigour. He went back to look at the map staring at the ancient chinese wrods that over lapped each other. Something was still not right yet…

He turned to stare at Maki who was hunched over the map. It would seem she knows it too. Naru smirked and lifted the map upwards. Maki followed him and too lifted the map upwards. They both turned to each other and smirked.

"What did you both figure out!" Mai and John from America shouted at them.

"Well, this is getting more and more interesting isn't it?" Maki said to him and Naru smirked turning away from her and staring back at the map. "I think we need some orange juice," he said, 'And a lighter."

*

Mai watches as Ayako left for the hut. Naru had just intructed her to get an orange and a lighter. Ayako did so but not willingly. She had been distracted ever since they had reached this slope. Mai had noticed that Ayako kept looking behind her at some thorny bushes.

"Be careful," she had said to Mai while sh was leaving. She told Naru too and Mai turned back to the thorny bushes. Mai felt nothing at all. Why was Ayako so bothered?

"Stupid leaf!" Masako shouted as her kinomo trudge upon a huge leaf. Mai shook her head. Masako would forever be complaining and Naru…would forever be an insufferable jerk. A cold wind blew past and Mai shivered.

She wrapped her winter jacket around her and sneezed. John went over to Mai and patted her. "Are you alright?" he asked and Mai nodded. There was something wrong with this place. Something very wrong.

"Mai," Naru's voice sounded and Mai glared at the boy irritated. He was waving his finger at her commanding her to lift the video camera and place it in front of him. Mai sneezed again and took the video camera along with the retort stand.

She walked over to where Naru was and set the video camera down before looking at its small screen. All she could was the green trees and the grassy ground. The sky above them was black and snow was falling down. Mai shook her head.

All she was grassy ground…trees…and snow falling to the ground. "Naru," Mai whispered shocked, "If snow is falling why is the ground not covered in snow?" she muttered. Naru looked up and walked quickly over to Mai.

He looked at the video camera and his eyes widened.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew past, the video camera tumbled and fell to the ground. Mai squatted wanting to pick up the camera but out of the corner of her eye she saw something move across the thorny bushes Ayako was so wearyabout before.

Before she knew it Masako was before her and Bou-san's hands together. He was muttering chants. MAi got up and frowned. There was nothing before them. Why was Bou-san and Masako so riled up. At the same time John gave a cry. He had the video camera pointed in front of them and he was lookjing horrified at the screen.

Mai looked at the screen and she held back a screen. Yuki Onna, the woman with long black hair, a half scarred face as if burnt by fire and her long drifting white cloak. She was just stnaidng a few feet away from them, staring at them. The smile she bore on her face getting wider and wider as each moment past.

"Back off slowly," Maki voice sounded, whispering.

"Isn't she your ancestor, why don't you do something about her!" Mai said through gritted teeth. Maki glared at Mai as if she was mad.

"She's sucking up the snow," Masako muttered. A white mist was swirling around Yuki Onna and her eyes were pure black and shiny, as if shining with vengence. "Come on back off slowly," Maki said and the group did, the video camera still aimed at the figure they could not see with their naked eye.

The screen blurred a few times making a raspy sound. Then the screen blanked out and John yelped. The screen came on again and there was nothing before them. Mai saw Masako's shoulder slumped and sighed in relief. "She's gone now isn't she," Mai asked Masako. There was a moment of silence as the ground looked wearily around with the video camera. There was nothing, the woman was gone. Masako turned smiling.

"Yes, she's gone."

Mai shoulder's slumped too and she sunk to the ground with a thump. There was a loud rumble and suddenly the ground broke apart. Mai screamed as she felt herself going down wards. She saw Maki jumping in after her trying to grab her and saw Masako beside her falling too. As she was falling she saw Naru's desperate face and the shocked faces of John and Bou-san.

They fell fast. There was no use defying gravity.

Mai felt her buttocks hit something hard. She bounced a few times in awkward positions before sliding to a stop. Maki landed on top of her and Masako next. Mai moaned in pain. The world was spinning. "Could you two please get off me," she muttered and Maki did so, pulling her and Masako up.

Mai rubbed her bruised back and shoulder before looking around. It was pitched black around here and she could not see anything.

It was cold and silent. The darkness seemed to have its own shape as it swirled around Mai. Mai shivered. "Where are we?" Mai muttered. She heard Maki chuckling softly and a tiny wave of irritation hit her.

"I think we found the cave," Maki said.

"Are you alright!?" Bou-san's voice came from above. Mai looked up and saw the three boys faces looking down at them. "We might need a torchlight!" Maki shouted up. John threw down one and it landed flat on Mai's head. She yowled in pain.

"Ah, sorry!" John shouted. Mai muttered angrilly. Taking the torchlight and rubbing her sore head. She felt a hand slipped into hers. "Masako, don't be scared," Mai said. The girl's grip became harder, so hard that Mai winced.

'Masako what's wrong?" Mai muttered. She switched on the torchlight and found Masako standing beside her. Her head was bent and she was looking at the ground. Mai felt chills go up her spine. "What's wrong with the kinomo girl?" Maki asked when she saw Masako.

"Masako?" Mai whispered. Masako grip got 10 times worst and Mai cried out in pain, closing her eyes when wincing. She heard Maki cry out in alarm and when Mai opened her eyes again. She found Masako glaring at her. Their face only milli meters apart. Masako eye balls were rolling backwards, exposing only the whites of her eyes.

"He who comes here shall die a miserable fate," Masako rasped. "He, foolish and young would drown in hell's gate."

"You're not Masako," Mai whispered, a lump forming in her throat.

"What's going on down there!" Naru's voice sounded. Masako head bent up and she stared at the 3 boys, her smile getting wider. Her grip on Mai getting harder and harder. Mai could see her skin breaking apart and bleeding.

Maki launches herself forward with so much force Mai didn't even see it coming. Maki raised her hand and karate chopped Masako's arm. Masako released Mai and Mai stumbled back. Her hand throbbing in pain. Maki grabs Mai and ran towards the darkness and further down the cave.

Masako turned and smiled at them. She did not follow them. The warning she gave them resounded in Mai's head and she began to shiver.

"You-would-die-"

*

Naru glanced down at the Masako who was just stnading there. There was something off about her and Naru knew it. He had just seen Maki attacked her and Naru had a slight suspiscion that she was possesed.

Masako peered up at them. John gasped and turned away. Masako's eye balls were turned back so awkwardly that only the whites were showing. She moved dementdely towards the wall and before Naru could react, climbed the walls at such an amazing speed that she was before Naru in just a few seconds. Naru jumped backwards and lifted his hands ready to fight.

Instead of attacking him, Masako started to laugh and then she collapses onto the ground. There was deep silence before Naru walked towards Masako and lifted her. There was a pained expression on Masako's face and she was sweating profusely.

"Get her back to the hut," he instructed John and John nodded lifting the girl.

A crow cawked nearby and Naru turned. Up on the trees were millions of black crows that weren't there before. Another crow cawed and after a few seconds every crow started to make a sound. It was faint at fist but Naru picked it up almost immediately and he glanced into the cave in horror. The crow, a symbol of evil and death.

"Help-me," the crows cawed. Their eyes boring down on Naru and Bou-san. Their beaks seemingly evil looking, they looked like they were smriking.

"Help me," Bou-san whispered. Both boys looked at each other and into the cave itself.

'MAI!" Naru shouted.


	18. To touch the moon

Today I am a writing machine! Hahaha hope you enjoy this chapter! Hope it does not blow up your mind with confusion.

Well if you need an explanation for this chapter I would surely explain it to you. This time I wouldn't be irritated with it. Because…well…let's just say the phonetic code concept it a little difficult to understand…I still don't get it myself.

The whispering mountain

File 18#

To touch the moon

Mai's hand throb and she winced every time Maki ran a little faster. The torchlight Maki had in her hand was switched on and the lights it gave off was reflecting off the walls. Mai glanced back, the darkness behind them was defeating. Worried for Masako, Mai pulled on Maki who came to a stop. Both girls panted and Maki held up the torchlight, pointing it behind them.

The light was like a knife and it cut throught the darkness like a butter knife cutting through soft butter. Masako was not behind them. Maki heaved a sigh of relief and Mai gripped her injured hand. It was bleeding hard and Mai had no idea how to stop it.

"Let me see that," Maki said to Mai, taking Mai's hand and inspecting it. Mai's skin had broke and red blood was flowing out. There were bruises on her wrist. Maki grimaced before taking out her winter coat revealing a short sleeve shirt she wore inside. Maki tore off part of the sleeves of the shirt and wrapped it around Mai's hand.

Mai looked at the girl and found that the girl had the same gentleness as Naru. Mai blushed and pulled her hand away. "Thank you," she said to the girl, who smirked and wore the jacket.

"You're jealous, aren't you," she said to Mai who was stunned. Mai turned red and looked away. "Jealous of what!? What the hell are you implying!' Mai asked Maki who was looking at her with a all knowing smirk. The smirk was so irritating, it reminded Mai off a certain somebody.

"Don't worry," Maki said to Mai, "I don't like him in that way…in fact his somebody who I can relate too, but his not a person I would like."

Mai could feel heat rushing up her face. Maki being similar to Naru, Maki and Naru seemingly understnading each other and Maki and Naru so close to each other, it actually made Mai a little…

"Jealous?" Maki asked Mai.

Mai turned away as Maki shined the torch in her face. She was turning redder every second. Just like Naru, Mai found it hard to deal with this girl. "He likes you in the same way, don't worry," Maki whispered.

Mai head snapped up. "WHAT!?" she shouted at the girl who was already walking further down the cave.

"Hey wait up," Mai said, "What did you just say?"

*

Naru stared at the cave worried sick. He glanced at the map he was holding and opted to leave it behind. He was about to jump into the hole which led to the cave when Bou-san stopped him. "Are you crazy, you might get hurt!" Bou-san scolded him.

"But Mai-"

"Maki is with her," Bou-san told Naru. Naru looked at the map again. "Maki is with her," he whispered. Somehow that made him feel slightly better.

"Here you go you're orange and lighter," Ayako said appearing behind Naru. When the older woman saw the hole she let out a terrible gasp and fell back drmatically. "What-what-what is that!" she shouted and Bou-san places his hand on his fore head.

"Does this hole warrant such a dramatic reaction woman!" he said to her and Ayako rounded up on him. The two adults quarreled. Naru sighed before picking up the ornage and splitting it. He took the peeled orange and squeezed a little juice on the empty part of the map.

Bou-san and Ayako bounded over him watching him. "What are you doing?" Bou-san asked. Naru ignored the older man and lifted the lighter. He lit it and a small burning flame appeared. Placing the lighter below the map not to far away or close pictures started to appear on the once empty spot of the map.

Ayako gasped.

"Invisible ink!" she exclaimed and Naru nodded smirking.

"Add a little citric acid and a little heat and invisible ink would appear like magic," Naru said. Bou-san patted Naru's back.

"You're a genius!" he said.

The pictures appeared fast and soon the empty spot of the map was filled. Naru looked at the picture quickly as they would dissapear as soon as they appeared. The empty spot of the map showed the inside of the cave. It was a complicated mess of tunneling tunnels and at the end of the tunnels was a chamber. There was a big 'X' at the chamber. Naru suspected that the stone was there.

Naru's eyes widned as he saw a tunnel prtruding out of the chamber. This tunnel however was on top of the chamber and it lead to a…

"River…" Naru whispered.

"Naru, words are appearing!" Ayako exclaimed.

Naru looked at the words. They were in chinese but Naru understood what it was.

"I lie in grave alpha…" he whispered.

*

Mai had no idea how long they walked but she did know this. This cave was like a long downward spiralling tunnel. She followed Maki who led the way with a torchlight.

Suddenly Maki stopped and Mai bumped into the red spiky goggle wearing girl. "What is the problem now!" Mai said. She looked up and was stunned to see a big wall filled with drawings. Drawings of Yuki Onna fighting the Phoenix. There were fires everywhere and in the fires were people screaming. Red tainted the sky and in the sky was a moon. At the side of the wall were 4 panels. 4 huge rectangular panels.

"What is this?" Mai whispered, horrified. Maki looked at the wall and ran her fingers down them. She stopped and stood back. Her eyes widened a bit before aiming the torchlight at the bottom of the wall. There were words there.

"Is this…" Mai whispered, shocked.

"Eh, it is," Maki said a smirk appearing on her face. She pulled down her goggles and looked at the words. "This seems to be a code."

Mai stumbled backwards before crying out felling her left feet fall into a hole. She landed hard and winced as her injured hand hit the ground. Maki rushed over to her and lifted her up. "Are you ok?" Maki asked her and Mai nodded. Tears were in her eyes, the pain was fresh and sharp.

"Stupid hole," Mai muttered. Maki aimed the torchlight on the spot where Mai had tripped. There where Mai's foot was; was a circuliar hole. It was a meter deep and a meter long in diameter. It was quite a huge hole and it was in the middle of the ground.

Maki frowned and turned to face the words. Mai following her.

"irno otih eruzi ihccat az ikust nak uokiar," Mai muttered before raising her eye brows. "Huh?" she said. Maki too had a confused expression. She got up and walked towards the huge rectangular panels and was surprised to find words in the middle of the panels.

"Rei, Futon and Toru," Maki whispered. She looked at the words and Mai spotted that all knowing smirk on her face. Mai held back her irrtation and turned to Maki. "What have you found out?" she asked the girl.

"Mai have you heard of the Phonetic code?" Maki asked Mai who frowned and shook her head. Maki pointed at the three words. "The phonetic code is used when communicators from the ground communicate to piolets in the air-craft. For example if I said D-1 and B-1, D and B sound do similar that piolets might listen to it wrongly and make a wrong move. Therefore a phonetic code is used. So instead of D-1 we say Delta 1 and instead of B-1 we say Bravo-1. This way piolets wound;t listen wrongly and are able to make the right moves. This is called phonetic codes. Do you see the connection?"

Mai's mind was spinning with the explanation but she managed. Trying to put the words Maki said in order Mai gasped suddenly getting it. "Every start of the letter makes up the phonetic code," Mai said.

'Yes and it applies to this too," Maki said pointing to the words in the middle of the 4 panels.

"Rei, Futon and Toru," Mai whispered. "Refuto…" she whispered and Maki nodded.

"Left!" Mai exclaimed, looking at the 4 panels. She pressed the one on the left and found that it moves forward. There was a loud rumble and Mai held on to Maki who looked up stunned. Then the rumble stopped. There was the sound of swirling water and both girls turned; shocked to find the circuliar hole filled with water.

"Water?" Mai whispered. Maki looked at the water before gasping and pushing Mai away.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Mai protested but stopped when she saw Maki looking at the words Mai read out just now.

"irno otih eruzi ihccat az ikust nak uokiar," Maki whispered over and over again. A smirked appeared on Maki face, one so wide Mai had a terrible feeling that Maki's mouth might split open. "Mirror image," Maki said.

"Mirror image?" Mai repeated Maki's words. Maki pointed at the words with the flash light. "Those words are the mirror image of the actual words." She explained.

"Flipped the words over and whatr do you get," Maki said. Mai tried but she still couldn't get it. Maki rubbed her fore head.

"See when you look at a mirror your features and everything appear the same, the only thing that appears different are words!" Maki said and Mai got it. She looked at the words again and the answer hit her immediately.

"Onri hito izuke tacchi za tsuki kan raikou," she said. "Only people who touch the moon can enter."

'Amazing Maki!" Mai said before frowning. "But what does it mean?"

Maki pointed at the moon that had been painted on the wall. The moon that hung in the red sky. Mai jumped attempting to touch it but found that it was too high up. Maki began to chuckle at Mai's lousy attempts and Mai turned irritated. 'Why don't you try it!" she said to the girl who nodded.

"Have you heard the story of the monkey who wanted to touch the moon?" she asked Mai who shook her head.

"Once upon a time there was a monkey who wished to touch the moon, so one day he stacked up rocks one after another he stacked it up so high and climbed it but he still could not touch the moon. He climbed the highest tree but still he cannot touch the moon. Then one day fustrated he climbed a mpuntain bounded towards the cliff and leapt attempting to touch the moon…he did not but landed in a puddle of water," Maki receited the story while swinging the torchlight. Mai found this oddly annoying but continued to listen to the girl. "When he came too he found the moon illuminated in the puddle of water, the whole moon. The monkey could finally touch the moon."

Mai's eyes widened as Maki swung the torchlight onto the moon. The light bounced off the moon on the wall and the moon was reflected in the puddle of water in the hole that was filled with water.

"Do you know moon reflects the light from the sun that's why it always glows…same concept here," Maki said, "The moon on the wall is probably made out of a crystal of some sort."

Mai looked at Maki. This girl…was…

"A genius," she muttered.

" Now jealous girl," Maki said, "Touch the moon."

*

Naru peered at the map for several minutes. Each time the invisible ink vanishes he rubbed some orange juice on it and heat it up again. No matter how many times he did it, the river at the end of the map still appeared.

An ominous feeling hit Naru and his shoulders slumped.

"Get a rope Bou-san," he told the man who gave him a confused look.

"Why?" Bou-san asked the boy but Naru just shook his head. "Hurry," he whispered.

**One day the dead would not die but roam for an eternity, when the first head rolls, second bodies vanish from the depts., thirdly all would burn, fourth waters will flood, fifth, she would take and last of all, people would never die but live in forms forever scarred.**

The curse repeated in Naru's head and he crunched the map up.

"Fourth waters will flood," he whispered. Bou-san gasped. "The curse," Ayako said and Naru nodded.

He looked at the hole which led to the cave.

"Mai," he whispered.

"Be safe." He thought.


	19. Noah survived the flood didn't he

Now please tell me why chemistry is important? It is you know…without chemistry no murder mystery can be solved.

The whispering mountain

File 19#

Noah survived the flood didn't he

Mai stared at the moon reflected in the hole filled with water. She reached out slowly towards it. Maki was watching her every move. Mai gulped and touched the water. The reflected image of the moon on water vanished and there was a loud rumble.

Maki reached out to grab Mai and then the rumbling stopped. They turned and found that the wall is gone. Behind the wall was a large chamber filled with ghoulish bluish light. In the middle of the chamber was a circuliar platform and on it was another map.

"What in God's name…" Mai whispered. She stood up and walked towards it, only to be stopped by Maki.

Mai turned to face Maki confused. "Why do you stop me?" she asked the girl who in reply kicked a small rock into the chamber almost immediately arrows sprung out and shot across the chambers. The arrors emebeded themselves in the walls of the chamber and Mai gulped.

If Mai had entered she would be fish bait. Maki kicked another stone, this time nothing happened. Feeling sastified she pushed Mai into the chamber. Mai screamed and croched down. Nothing happened and Maki storde in after her.

'Were you trying to kill me!?" Mai screamed at the girl who merely shrugged.

"Nothing would happen," Maki said and walked towards the circuliar platform where the map was. The map was old and dirty. It would seem that it had been there for ages. Maki reached out and touched it gingerly. She was surprised.

It wasn't as dirty as she thought it would be. Maki touched the edges of the map and her eyes widened in shock. She quickly grabs the map ran towards Mai and jumped out of the chamber. There was a loud clank behind them. Metal crashing onto the ground. Both girls turned and found a large metallic cage covering the spot that they once were. The cage was shiny and not rusted.

"It's new…" Maki whispered. The cage just confirmed her suspiscions.

"What's new?" Mai asked. Maki turned to the girl beside her, eye brows raised. There was a limit on how slow a person can be.

Maki was about to explain to the girl when the ceiling above the chamber broke. It crashes down and Maki pulled Mai out of the way. Dust rose and both girls coughed violently. There was a loud rumbling sound. Then the sound of water hitting ground. Maki gasped. The dust cleared and the next thing she saw was water, no not water, a river of water rushing towards them.

Mai and Maki looked at each other.

"Oh bloody shit," Mai whispered.

Without further ado, the girls ran.

*

"_The deal is it done?" the man asked. The man stood at 5 feet and he wore sun glasses. He was a man in his fifties yet his muscular built and broad chest said other wise. He smoked a cigar of the finest kind and wore a black suite fit for a king. A rich man of certain class. _

_He turned to face the black shadow behind him. That scum he had asked to do his dirty work had appeared again. He goes by the name Shadow and he was a perfect hit man that gets the job done. This time the target was of a certain village in a certain hill._

_The man took another whiff from his cigar as the shadow shook his head._

"_It soon will be," the shadown rasped rasing a hand. "And when the jobs done I want the money you promised me."_

_The man's eye brows twitched in irritation. "If the job is done," he said. The shadow smirked and walked towards the man who flinched as the shadow places his face close to the man's. They were off the same height and their noses touched._

"_I get the money, always." He whispered._

_The shadow raised the gun and pointed it behind the man._

"_Bang!" he whispered. There was a lond bang and a force so incredible it shook the man's feet._

_The man turned and found one of his men on the ground, blood erupting from his head. "I get the money…" the shadow rasped, smirking, "Always."_

*

"Ahrrr…" Mai screamed as they hurtled down the long tunnels of the cave itself. The waters were rushing up behind them. Mai could almost feel the water crashing down on them. She flinched as a drop of water landed on her cheek. It was so cold.

"RUN!" Maki shouted at Mai. Mai found the girl a few meters ahead of her and chased after the girl. The waters were coming fast and still the place where the entered the cave was nowhere in sight.

"Are you sure Naru would have a rope ready for us?" Mai shouted at Maki who nodded. "Don't worry that guy he thinks like me," Maki shouted back and Mai almost heaved a sigh of releif.

Water slapped at her ankles and she shrieked and ran faster. This time over taking Maki. "Why am I always in this mess!" she shouted and ran.

The dark tunnel was enough to scare Mai witless but the water behind her could kill her. "TURN!" Maki said grabbing Mai and forcefully pulling her into a corner in which they ran again. Mai heard the water slapped against a wall before switching diorections and coming after them.

"Great!' she shouted.

"Over there!" Maki shouted and Mai cried out in releif. There was the spot in which they fell into the cave. Mai could kiss Naru right then when she saw a rope dangling down.

"Mai, legs up," Maki told the girl. Mai jumped and Maki held the girl. Mai grabs the rope and started to climb. Mai felt tears coming out from her eyes as she climbed. She felt something slipped into her pocket and when she looked down horror filled her face.

"Maki!" she screamed. The girl was just standing there, not climbing just smriking.

The map that they had retrieved from the chamber in Mai's pocket.

"Maki what are you doing climb!" Mai heard Ayako's voice shouting from above.

Maki stared up at them, her goggles on, that irritating smirk still on.

"A-d-i-o-s," she mouthed and Mai screamed her name as the water rushed at her and engulfed her completely.

"MAKI!"

The waters moved on as Mai dangled on the rope. The waters barely reaching her. Mai stared down at the rushing water unable to hold it back anymore. "YOU IDIOT!" she shouted. She felt the map in her pocket and knew what she need to do.

"Mai, no!" Naru shouted at Mai who threw the map at Naru.

"Hold on to it!" she shouted at the boy who let out a wordless cry as Mai grab the rope and jumped into the rushing water.

*

"Where is Maki?" the detective shouted as he burst into the hut. Yasuhara-san stared at the man. John from Australia dropped the documents he was holding and Lin looked up from the computer screen. The detective had been running and sweat now plastered his thin shirt to his chest.

The detective held out a zip blog bag in which inside was soil.

"What's the rush?" Yasuhara-san asked the man who literally jumped into the hut. The man slammed down the bag and looked at the 3 men in the room. "Where is Maki, this is very urgent!" he said.

"Calm down," Lin said standing up. The tall chinese man walked over to the detective and picked up the bag. "Soil?" he asked and the detective nodded.

"Maki dug up some soil from the grave yard and askedme to investigate it," he said.

"So?" John asked and the detective grab the bag from Lin and swung it around violently. There was a triuphm look on his face.

"This my friends contains the components of soil and yet another very interesting substance…" he said, smiling, "And a type of sludge."

"Melting," he whispered.

*

When Mai first entered the water, the cold shocked her. It shocked her so badly that Mai almost opened her mouth and let water in. she almost released the rope too. Mai grip on harder to the rope and twirled it around her wrist and began to swim.

It was easy to swim as she wasn't going against the currents. She swam fast along the currents. The water led her down the long winding tunnels of the cave itself.

She couldn't see much because of the dark and the water was making everything blurry. Soon her lungs felt like they were about to burst. Mai shook her head and continued. She wouldn't leave until she found Maki.

That girl whp was frankly very irritating but kind. That girl who was greatly mis understood and ridiculed. She had suffered enough. Now more then ever, the girl deserved to see the stone. Deserved to touched it and very much deserved to return it to the Phoenix.

The currents sent Mai straight down fast. So fast that Mai didn't see a wall coming next. She hit it hard and she opened her mouth. A big mistake. Bubbles escaped her lips and she swallowed water. She choked and felt her amrs growing weak. The water carried her forward and the rope grew taut.

Was she dying?

Mai felt her lung slowly filling with water. Felt the pain swallowing her up.

Why…was…she…so…

"Stupid," a voice whispered into her ear.

Mai got up and choked hard. She found herself in a small dark chamber. It was cramped and moist. She was dripping wet and her chest hurt terribly. She turned and found Maki beside her, equally dripping wet. The torchlight in her hand was gone.

"Are you an idiot?" Maki asked her and Mai was angry again.

"Is that what you say to somehow who tried to save you!?" Mai shouted.

Maki slapped Mai hard on the back and Mai choked out some more water. She coughed hard and Maki sighed. "I saved you," she said and Mai blushed hard feeling her anger dissapearing.

Then she realised it…

"Where are we?" she asked.

Maki moved over to Mai and grabs her hand. Mai had a strange feeling that the girl was smirking.

"See there is another secret passage in this cave itself, I found it when I thought I was a goner…fortunately for us, this tunnel was high up in the cave ceiling…and we could only reached it when the waters brought came, so here we are safe."

"So we're…in the ceiling of the cave!' Mai exclaimed and Maki nodded.

"And…looks like…this tunnel leads somewhere…and I have a strange feeling that I know where it leads too," Maki said.

Mai felt it too and she gasped.

"Don't tell me…" Mai whispered.

"Do you remember the small holes like tunnels in the grave yard," Maki said and Mai nodded. "The whispering tunnels," Mai said and Maki nodded.

"I think I know how the bodies dissapeared."


	20. We're all connected and melting together

Now people sorry for the long wait. Here is the next chapter.

So…why is chemistry important? *smirks*

Enjoy this chapter

The whispering mountain

File 20#

We're all connected and melting together

Naru stared at the hole. He was shivering ever so slightly, trying to keep his emotions in check. There was no use panicking. The water from the river had completely flooded the cave and its connected tunnels below. The dark waters flowing like death.

He felt somebody place a hand on his shoulder and turned. It was Bou-san and the monk was shaking his head. Ayako was shocked.

Naru turned back to the hole. The waters were still gushing. The rope Naru held in his hand loosened suddenly and Naru's eyes widened.

"MAI!" he shouted.

The waters continued to rush, Naru's cries went unheard.

*

It was surprising. Even without the torchlight Mai could still see. Although not clearly but Mai had no doubt about it, she could see the path they were taking quite clearly. Light had to be leaking here from somewhere, Maki had told her once they started to move.

The chamber had an exit and the exit was one tunnel that seemed to slant upwards, as if leading to the surface. The tunnel was narrow and Maki and Mai had to crawl on all fours to move through it. Maki was in front of her.

"Are we there yet?" Mai asked. This was the most uncomfortable thing she had to go through. Maki ignored her whines and continued. Mai gave a long deep sigh and followed the girl.

The girl in front moved silently and seriously. She seemed to be thinking hard too because her goggles were over her eyes. The unmistakable smirk she wore was on her face. Mai stared at the girl a little intrigue.

Sure the girl was the descendent of Yuki Onna, but other than that Mai no nut about this girl. "Maki where did you come from?" Mai asked suddenly, the questions escaping her lips. There was a slight pause before Maki answered but in a soft whisper that Mai barely caught it.

"Hokkaido," Maki had whispered.

"Isn't that place cold?" Mai asked, shivering. She had been to Hokkaido and it had been snowing so hard that everywhere she turned it was white. White of purest white.

"Not really," Maki said again, "Anyway if I'm a descendent of Yuki Onna, I'm not suppose to feel the cold."

Mai stared at the girl wet black shorts and snorted. "Now I know why you don't feel cold at all."

She heard Maki chuckle and Mai smiled a little. So Maki was like an ordinary girl…well an ordinary girl with a very large irritating attitude and brain.

"What about your parents?" Mai asked. This time the atmosphere got heavy.

"I told you my parents died trying to find the stone," Maki said through clenched teeth and Mai knew she should have shut herself up after asking one question.

"Well my parents died too," Mai said. There was a deep pause and Maki turned and Mai found herself leaning back in the most awkward position possible. Maki's eyes were boring into hers as if searching, searching for something. The smirk had dissapeared from her face and this time she seemed serious. Maki's face reminded Mai of Naru and she blushed.

The smirk on Maki's face appeared again. "Guess you weren't lying," Maki said and turned around again and continued to crawl. Mai felt the heat flush to her face. 'What maes you think I'm lying?" She said barely containing her anger.

"Because most people do, to comfort me…" Maki said. Mai sensed a strange overwhelming sadness that she could not explain coming from the girl. "If you lie I would never forgive you,' Maki said. Mai was stunned. The girl was talking more that she needed too,

"Because…my parents,"

Maki punched something above her hard, light flittered in so bright that it blinded Mai's eyes. They had reached the top, the exit of the cave. Maki held her hands out for Mai to grab.

"My parents were murdered."

*

"What do you mean by melting?" John asked the overly excited detective who was waving the packet of soil like a child waving his first lollipop.

"You all better thank Maki for this discovery," He said to them. Well, the 3 men in the hut. From his pocket the detective fished out a white shiny piece that the 3 men recognised.

"That's a bone," Yasuhara-san said and the detective nodded.

He held out the soil. "In this soil there are chemical traces…of human remains…I'm talking chemical remains…it was as if the body had simply melted to form a type of chemical that mixes with the soil," the detective explained.

Lin held out his had and took a recorder and recorded what the detective was saying.

"You mean the bodies didn't dissapear they simply…melted into the soil…" Yasuhara-san asked. John was simply confused and therefore decided to remain quiet. The detective smirked and places the bag of soil on the table along with the piece of bone.

"Have you heard of concentrated sulphuric acid?" he asked and he pointed to the soil.

*

'In 1944, John George Haigh killed a woman," Maki stated as Mai followed her. When the exited the cave they had found themselves in the village's temple. Maki's smirk got bigger and Mai knew that she had solve everything…well everything about the dissapearance of the bodies.

She was pacing the hut now and doing a one man's show. She reminded Mai of Naru who always explianed things in a round about fashion. Mai let the girl do her show. "Over the span on 5 years, he murdered 6 woman…it might have been 9 but police would never know…after all after John murdered the bodies would dissapear," Maki said.

Mai gasped and Maki turned smirking. "How did the bodies dissapear?" Mai asked and Maki smirked. "Before he commited the murder John was in prison for fraud, in prison he had lots of time to think, he thought of ways to make a woman's body dissapear in 30 minutes and he found it…the soloution."

"What would happen if I pour Sulphuric acid on your hand right now, Mai?" Maki asked and Mai thought for a moment. "It would hurt I guess." She said.

Maki shook her head. "It would burn and your skin would turn all red and blotchy," Maki said. "Pour concentrated sulphuric acid into a container and place the body inside…and everything would dissolve," Maki said.

Mai's eyes widened and Maki smirked.

"Look at this temple walls, do you realise anything special?"

Mai turned to look, the answer was right before her…it was only a matter of time before she got it. She found it…there were multiple holes…well 8 holes at the side of the temple's left wall. Mai went over to them and she stared at them. She counted the holes and she gasped.

"There are 8 graves Mai…and each grave has a whispering tunnel…there are 8 holes here," Maki said. Something clicked and Mai fell back.

Maki smirked and touches one of the holes. "the bodies did not dissapear…the culprit knew that the bodies of the village were burried in mass graves and the bodies stacked on top one another in an unclosed grave…there were no coffins to protect the bodies so the culprit had a plan…he knew that the whispering tunnels connected the graves together and that this holes here lead to the whispering tunnels…he heard about Sulphuric acid so he poured litres and litres of sulphuric acid into these holes so that the sulphuric acid would travel down this holes to the graves where the acid would melt the bodies…and make them dissapear…"

"Of course this would have taken quite some time," Maki said, "He couldn't do it all in one go, as carrying a big container of sulphuric acid would draw suspicion to himself…so he did this over the years slowly pouring the sulphuric acid, slowly melting the bodies…but his plan had a flaw…sulphuric acid couldn't possibly mely bones completely…and that's where he flawed."

Maki smirked and turned behind her.

'Right," she said.

Mai turned and found a man standing behind her.

She gapsed and her eyes widened. "You don't mean…" Mai whispered.

The man behind them, a villager…no a monk saw them and turned…running.

"Looks like we found our culprit," Maki said before giving chase.


	21. Sacrificial lamb

I am terribly sorry for the extremely long wait. To tell you the truth I had a mental block and I couldn't think for a while. Also because of all the stuff that was coming out and me having to decide my future and all and getting the results for my future and other crappy stuff like this, I didn't have time.

By the way I'm going to be a childhood educator. I wanted to become a writer, but some idiots way up there, in the (not going to say who) decided to make me a kindergarten teacher. In the long run I cannot see myself being friendly with children or telling them that life is great, so this ultimately lures me back to crap fest.

This is my life people.

Well just got to accept it.

Enough of me rambling on how wonderful my life is and let's get to the story shall we.

The whispering mountain

File 21#

Sacrificial lamb

The monk ran fast and he had no reason to stop. Maki was chasing him and she looked terribly fierce. Mai had trouble keeping up with the girl. She ran, stopped for a while to catch her breath before chasing after the girl again that was a few feet in front of her.

"Slow down," Mai screamed to the girl. As soon as the request left her mouth, Mai realized how stupid the request had sounded. Maki was chasing down a criminal for God's sake. Mai gritted her teeth and with all the strength she could muster launches herself forward.

The monk ran in confusing patterns, he dodges from right to left then turned into a small corner behind another villager's hut. Maki cursed and followed suit. Mai ran after her and turned; she hit something hard and fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

Mai looked up wincing and saw Maki standing there unmoving. Her goggles were over her eyes. Mai felt something warm beneath her hands and she lifted her hands to inspect her palms. She let out a tiny scream and turned to look what was in front of Maki.

Maki placed a hand over Mai's mouth.

"Be quiet," she muttered.

The monk lay before them. His tongue sticking out, his face flat on the ground. A giant hole to the back of his head had claimed his life.

"A gun?" Mai whispered, shivering suddenly.

Maki pushed Mai back and landed on Mai. Suddenly there was a loud banging noise and then silence. Maki grab Mai and together they got to their feet and they began to run. Mai still lost and confused.

"What is happening Maki?" she shouted as the girl ran.

They ran towards the ghost hunters head quarters and burst into the hut, shocking the two John Browns, Lin and Yasuhara-san.

'What happened?" Lin asked Maki who slammed the door shut and released the curtains so that it covered the windows.

"An assassin," she said, loud enough for everyone to here, "And if my suspicions are correct, he or she's the one who's been killing everyone in this village recently."

*

It has been 5 hours since the incident and now the police flooded every part of the village itself. After discovering how the bodies disappeared and the detective had thanked the ghost hunt crew and Maki profusely and went on to open up the case on his own.

Naru who had found out that Mai was safe and sound gave her a harsh warning and Mai whose pay was in jeopardy apologized to the cruel dude.

'So, since all of you have solved the case of the disappearing bodies, I figured it's time for you to go home," the detective said.

Bou-san and the two John Browns agreed profusely however Maki and Naru declined the detective's offer.

"Why?" they had asked.

The two similar yet irritating people replied, "Because the mystery hasn't be solved yet."

Desperate they turned to Mai who had spent the most time with the two, "Convince them to head home now!" Ayako demanded Mai to do so. Mai shrugged and stared at both of them.

"That's the way they are," she said.

*

The monk's body was examined and the detective had shocking news to deliver. "He was killed by a rifle," the detective said solemnly, "And the rifle had been shot from a short distance."

"Which would mean…?" Ayako said.

"Which would mean that the murderer was at close proximity when he shot at both Mai and Maki and yet no matter how close he or she was…we still couldn't catch him or her…rather…we couldn't even see him…or her?" Maki explained to the woman who nodded.

Mai sighed and turned to look at Masako who has been asleep ever since she came onto Mai and attacked her. Mai placed a hand over Masako's fore head and stroke it gently. She then looked out of the window. Darkness was laid outside, the moon however illuminated the white snow, given the snow some sort of eerie blue light.

Mai felt her eye lids growing heavier. Maki's and Naru's words were drifting off slowly.

For some reason she could hear a strange whistle. It was a soft sound yet it sounded sad and long and distant. It was nothing Mai could describe.

She looked out of the window again and the bluish snow was given out some kind of fog. Through the fog she saw fire and horses. Men wearing different armor from olden times were charging at each other. The strange whistling was getting louder and more ominous. It was beginning to hurt Mai's ears.

In the sky above the chaotic war happening on the ground were two creatures. One so tall and blue, with a shape of a fox and the other red and fiery, the Phoenix. The creatures came at each other repeatedly.

Suddenly the blue fox lunges towards the red bird and with one giant swoop stole something from the red bird's feathers. There was a giant roar and a majestic fire ball erupted in the sky sending fire down everywhere. Fire raged and Mai saw the twisted faces of the men, women and children burning to death.

The whistling got so loud it was as if somebody had set a boiling kettle in Mai's ears.

Unconsciously Mai cupped her ears. Tears were flowing from her eyes. The whistling was becoming clearer but louder.

"Alpha!"

The final whistle sounded and Mai fell backwards panting so hard. Her body was covered in sweat. She looked around and found Naru and the other ghost hunt members standing over her. Worry lines etched all over their faces.

"What happened?" Naru asked, his voice did not sound cold, it sounded strangely comforting. He reached out and gently wiped the tears from Mai's eyes.

Mai grabs his hands and she leapt away from the window, panting.

There it was, even if she saw it, she didn't want to admit it.

Naru tensed and Mai realized that he could see it too.

She heard Ayako gasping and Bou-san too. Soon the room was so tensed it was unbearable. There was a headless figure outside the window and it was tapping the glass ever so slightly. Each time it tapped, a certain noise was made.

It tapped in rhythms as if it was playing a drum. Short, then long, shorter than longer, it was like a staccato beat.

The headless stump stood there doing that. Strangely no blood flowed from the headless stump and it stood there, basking in full glory of the moon light.

It seemed transparent somehow, but rather opaque. It only moved its hands and Mai somehow or rather, felt no fear.

"Morse code," Maki whispered harshly and Naru nodded.

"Morse code," Mai whispered and Naru went on to translate. It was almost funny, almost hilarious, to see a ghost tapping Morse code on their window, but the message Naru read out was not the slightest bit light hearted or funny.

"The devil sees no good or evil, everyone is a sacrificial lamb and everyone has its own hell. Once the stone is found the devil will give no mercy."

The headless figure disappeared.

"What," Mai whispered, "Was that…"

*

The villager was a 15 year old boy who was yet to meet maturity. He was rushing towards his hut. It's been 2 days since the police arrived and this was the first time the boy had ever seen cars in his entire life.

He knew that they weren't living in ancient times anymore, but seeing a real life modern car in the middle of a deserted yet traditional village was something the boy thought would never happen. The boy shook his head ignoring the cars that stood at the entrance of the village.

He ran towards his hut, just a few hundred meters away. The snow made it harder for the boy to run but he did so anyway.

He ran and suddenly he stumbled. He fell to the ground and was quite relieved to feel soft snow underneath him. He grabs the important object he had been holding on too. It had been an important item given to him by the village chief to hand over to his parents; he shall proceed with his mission with caution.

He tried to stand up and found that he could but with so much difficulty. He peered downwards and to his utter horror found his right foot gone, all that was left was a bloody stump.

The boy gave a wordless scream and struggled forward. He stumbled again and this time he fell hard. He felt something falling out and he turned. Both his legs were now missing, as if blasted off by a canon. He grabs the item that was entrusted to him and begun to crawl. Suddenly he felt his left arm tear. Writhing in pain, the boy released the object and buried it in the snow.

He took a nearby rock and begun to crawl again. The time he saw his right arm flying off and felt the bullet whizzing pass his face.

The boy screamed in terror.

He felt something at the back of his head and he begun to struggle.

"Sayonara," he heard someone muttered.

Well, at least he got to see the modern cars. There was a sharp numbing pain, the next thing he knew was darkness.


	22. Fishes

WELL FOLKS I AM BACK AND THIS TIME I PROMISE YOU, I WOULD UPDATE EVERYDAY UNTIL NOW TO THE LAST CHAPTER. Oh forgive my grammar…I have tried to improve on it…but instead of improving it got worst. So please bear with me. It would probably take years to master grammar, but hey at least I'm trying.

The whispering mountain

File 22#

Fishes

"This is horrible," Mai muttered. Up till date it has only been outsiders who have been getting murdered but now 2 villagers have been killed. And they were innocent. Mai clenched her fist and looked out of the hut's window. Naru and the detective were talking solemnly.

"It would seem our little assassin had strike again," Maki whispered to Mai who jumped. The girl with the bright red hair was also looking out of the window, but not at Naru and the detective…but at the blue sheet covering up the crime scene.

"It happened at night and no one heard gun shots…this assassin must be very experienced," Maki muttered.

"Who cares about the assassin, we have a dead 15 year old boy in our hands!" Mai shouted angrily, shocking Maki.

'Now, calm down, Mai, nothing would come to any good if you get angry and let your emotions get the better of you," Masako's irritating voice came out of nowhere. Mai clenched her teeth. Don't they understand, a dead boy was out there killed by someone who didn't know the meaning of life? Why were they all so calm? Why?

The doors of the hut open and Naru entered. Lin got up and took the coat off Naru. Naru brushed the snow off and stared at the team who glared at him eagerly.

"The detective has advised us to leave the area, apparently an assassin is on the loose and we are in grave danger, the other teams that the detective has asked to help with the case have already left." Naru said.

Bou-san snorted, "I already said we should leave this place…we can't have any of us dying again," he said. Ayako nodded, for the very first time agreeing with the Bou-san she had always fought with. Naru was silent.

"You all are welcome to leave, but I would stay," he said.

Mai nodded and stood up, "Then I would stay too."

"Actually Mai, I would like you to leave," Naru said, looking at Mai.

'Why!?" Mai shouted at him, her anger getting the better of her.

'Mai, calm down," Masako scolded her. Mai glared at Naru and an irritated look passed his face. 'Look Mai…please listen to me," Naru said.

"NO!" Mai shouted and Naru slammed his hands down on the table stunning everybody. For a moment there was a vulnerable look on his face but it passed.

"Please Mai," he whispered, "Leave this place…Bou-san could you escort her for me," he said. Bou-san looked at Naru then at Mai before sighing. "I'm sorry Naru but I would like to stay," he said, "Besides…I would worry about the team if I were to leave now."

"But-"

"Listen to me Naru," Bou-san said even more loudly, "We are a team; we need to stick with each other."

"You don't get it do you Bou-san," Naru whispered, "We are the assassins next targets!"

Ayako, Yasuhara-san and John were looking lost. Masako just looked as irritated as Naru and Lin well Lin was drinking a cup of coffee while monitoring the monitors.

"My, oh my, it would seem you worry a lot for your team mates," Maki's voice broke out and her partner, John Brown from America flinched. 'Maki, I don't think now's the time to-"

"It would seem that the danger looming over you have made you a fearful person, Kazuya-san," she said. Naru glared at her. "It is normal to fear for my team mates, Nishimura-san."

"Well you do not need too," Maki said, her smirk disappearing from her face. 'The assassin would not touch us," she said.

"What do you mean?" Naru said frowning.

"If he touches us he might not be able to find the stone…" she said and she smirked a big one.

Naru's eyes widened and he went over to Lin whispered something into Lin's ear and Lin nodded.

"What!?' Mai asked the two separated, 'What have you two figure out!"

"Well, I'm not sure yet, but if we're right, we could find out who the assassin is," Maki muttered.

"What!" this time the rest of the people in the room said it.

* * *

"Stupid Naru, always asking me to do this for him, always hiding things from me," Mai muttered, complaining to a very irritated Masako and a nervous John Brown (from Australia).

Mai trudge up the snowy slope towards the village head's house.

"I wonder why we have to sneak into his hut anyway," Mai muttered.

"Oh, just shut up and follow orders," Masako said, walking past Ami and stepping into the village head's hut without any guilt. Mai flinched half excepting the village head to pop his bald head out of his hut and scold the living day lights out of them, but nothing happen.

'Well, Naru did say that he would be keeping the village head busy all afternoon," John said beside her. Mai frowned. "But still this is wrong…" Mai said.

"I don't want to hear that from somebody who knocks policemen out with a base ball bat," Masako's irritating voice flittered through the air.

"Shut up," Mai said and entered the hut after Masako.

The hut was cold from the winter winds and it was small. Blood red carpets made from deer skins covered the wooden floor. A small bed stood at the side of the room and a huge cupboard stood beside the bed. There were smaller boxes lined up against the walls.

"So what are we here for?" Mai asked.

"Naru said to look if there was anything suspicious," John said calmly scanning the room.

"My god, there are too many boxes, it'll take hours," Mai muttered complaining.

"Stick to the mission, Mai," Masako sounded. Mai grit her teeth in annoyance and went around the room opening boxes. Inside the boxes were cloths with intricate designs on them.

'So beautiful," Mai heard Masako said pulling out the large cloth from one of the boxes.

'Stick to the mission, Masako," Mai told Masako who froze and blushed before pushing the cloth back into the box. 'I know," she said and opened another box.

Mai sighed and went on to another box beside the huge cupboard before she paused. Was it just her or did the room get two notches colder? Mai felt chills going down her spine.

"_Mai…"_

Mai snapped around, finding nothing except Masako inspecting another box and John knocking the walls of the hut. Mai shook her head it must be her imagination. She turned back to opening the box she was about to inspect when she felt the cold tingling feeling again, this time on her right arm.

Mai froze…this time she was pretty sure…something was…

"_Mai…"_

Mai shook hard and turned, this time finding a black figure standing at the corner of the room. It was staring at her with tiny red eyes. It had a shape like a bowling pin and it was black in color. Mai almost gasped…

She looked at both Masako and John and realized that the both of them couldn't see it.

"_Mai…"_

It spoke again. It had no lips…and Mai realized that its voice was echoing in her mind. She was scared…very scared. That thing…it was…

"_Mai…over here,"_

It said and with a light black finger pointed at the dressing table beside the bed. It was grinning, its mouth a thin line of hollow blackness. Its red eye always staring at her.

"You want me to get it?" she whispered.

The figure seems to nod. Mai tread the room silently and carefully, finally getting close up to the figure. It was only then that Mai realized that it was crouching down next to the dressing stand. Its head had turned 180 degrees, its eyes continuously staring at hers.

Mai gulped in fear and looked at the dressing table. There on the dressing table was a white piece of paper that looked like a document of some sorts.

"East Farm Company," she whispered.

"_You found it…"_

Mai gasped and looked up; two red eyes were staring at her. The figure once crouching before had stood up to its full height. It was a head taller than Mai so it had to bend to meet her eyes. Its mouth was wide open in a smirk.

"_You're not allowed to see that,"_

Mai open her mouth to scream as the figure launched towards her.

"Mai!"

Mai felt herself being pushed away and she was slammed against the walls of the hut. She open her eyes and found John on top of her, rubbing his sore head. The black figure was now staring at the both of them.

"Get lost," Masako's voice sounded, except now it was a little deeper than usual. The figure crouched down again and then slowly it disappeared into smoke.

"Are both of you ok?" she asked them. Mai still shivering from the shock nodded, John rubbed his sore head. Masako sighed deeply.

"What was that," Mai shouted, suddenly angry. Masako rubbed her temples. "It is a curse…I shall explain it to you later but now…what is in your hands…"

Mai showed Masako the piece of paper and her eyes widened suddenly John gave a gasp, both girls turn to look at him. John Brown had lifted up part of the red carpet that lined the ground. Below was brown wood and on the brown wood were carvings…carvings of…

"Fish…" Mai whispered.

The whole wooden floor was covered in fish carvings…

"Well, looks like we discovered something suspicious," Masako said and Mai took out a camera Naru had given to her and started taking snap shots.

"Fishes" John muttered.

* * *

**I lie in grave alpha.**

* * *

Next chapter, prepare for mind blowing confusion…and well horror. Hehehehehe


	23. It all makes sense

Ok folks, the answers to the story all in this chapter, well not all. Hehehehehe

Well take your time to read. You might end up going HUH after this chapter and might want to read the story over again. If your too lazy to do so, please e-mail me and I'll explain everything to you. This chapter is confusing…well yeah, I admit that.

And well as usual my grammar sucks

I think I need someone to help me be my beta reader(if you wanna be me beta reader, please feel free to )

The whispering mountain

File 23#

It all makes sense

"Fishes?" Naru said lifting out the photo Mai had took in the village's head house.

"Yep, it was underneath the carpet, the fishes were carved out on the floor boards," Mai said, before putting out her chest and slapping a piece of paper on the table. "And I think I deserve credit for this."

Naru took up the piece of paper and his eyes widened. "East Farm Company," he whispered.

'Yes, the biggest company in this area, a company that specializes in farming," Mai said. She had read about the company before, a huge co-operation that was started in the 1950's. It had grown over the years becoming one of the richest companies in Asia. They specialize in anything that got to do with farming. From making new farming equipment to producing high quality crops to renting out lands to farmers. "Apparently they want to buy this village," Mai continued. Naru looked at the sheet of paper and he slotted it in his pocket.

There was most definitely a sparkle in his eye.

"Lin," Naru said, the tall quiet Chinese man stood up and walked towards the middle of the hut.

"What does this all mean, Naru?" Masako asked the boy who simply shrug and pointed to Lin. Before Lin could speak the doors of the hut burst open inwards. Panting and clasping their sides were Yasuhara-san, Bou-san and Ayako.

'Naru, we found it!" they shouted. Yasuhara was the first one to recover he strolled into the hut clasping the map Mai and Maki recovered from the flooded tunnels that just escaped from one day ago. Yasuhara-san placed the map on the table and opens it up; Mai found that it was torn up at one corner. Yasuhara-san than produced another piece of paper from his pocket. That paper Mai recognized. It was the scrolls Yasuhara-san and Masako had retrieve from the burning hut they were in.

On it was just one sentence.

"Atashi rai o haka arufa…I lie in grave alpha…" Mai whispered.

Yasuhara-san placed the piece of paper next to the torn map and the ghost hunt team gasped. The paper and the torn map fitted perfectly.

"This piece of paper was originally from the torn piece of map…" Yasuhara-san said. Naru swatted him away much to the annoyance of Mai, and inspected the map. From his pocket he retrieves out three photos. Mai looked at the photos and winced. On it was the corpse of the old woman who was murdered by the Yuki Onna.

'Naru…I didn't know you were that morbid," she muttered. "Carrying the pictures around like that…"

Naru gave Mai a look before pointing to one of the picture. Mai looked at it and found a word written beside the woman's beheaded head. It was written in red…written with blood. Mai found this strange, if she remembered it correctly…didn't the detective say that the crime scene had no blood, the woman although beheaded did not bleed.

Mai stared at the words and she gasped. 'I lie in grave alpha…" she read.

"Where," Bou-san asked butting Mai out of the way and picking up the photograph. There was a tense silence around the room.

'Well…" Masako whispered, suddenly getting it. John Brown nodded and Ayako grinned.

'What?" Mai asked, not quite getting it. Naru frowned at her stupidity.

"Mai, that means…we might have found the answer to the whereabouts of the Immortal stone."

* * *

"I knew it," Maki whispered, placing down the phone. She had to loan the phone from the police car to call the hospital but it was worth all the trouble. 'What makes sense, Maki?" John Brown from America asked her. He had snow in his hair and his cheeks were slightly bruised.

Both of them had to knock out two policemen to use the phone and boy were these policemen tough. Suddenly Maki's walki talky vibrated. She had gotten it from the smart ass Naru who said to use it to communicate with his team.

Maki answered it.

"Have you progressed?" Naru's calm and collected voice came from the device and Maki smirked. "Eh, yes," she said, "Called the hospital seems like our prediction was right," she continued.

'Maki, what the hell are you talking about?" John voice sounded, filled with irritation and jealousy. Really, John's character was like that of Mai Taniyama from the ghost hunts team. 'What prediction did you think up with him and not with me," John said, muttering something under his breath.

Maki sighed deeply. This was troublesome.

'Well we got something on our side," Naru clam voice flittered through, "It would seem East Farm Company wants to buy this village over…however the village rebelled…but there was no choice and the company still bought the village over…however there had been some delays…does this all make sense to you?"

Maki smirked, "Well, yes," she said.

"So, was he there…in the hospital?"

"Oh, you mean the one that got away, the one and only survivor from the treasure hunter team, the one who gave us the harry potter clue, Norio Genso," Maki said.

"Yes," Naru said.

"As you and I suspected…"

There was a long pause as John leaned over to listen.

"His not."

"So why don't you take the rest along," Mai asked Naru trudging up the slope with him towards the grave.

Naru did not answer her.

"Could you answer me," Mai asked again panting heavily.

"Why, I thought you wanted this," Naru said.

Mai's eye brows twitched. How was she supposed to answer to that?

"Well, if I wasn't carrying this heavy thing I might be a little bit happier." Mai said, groaning. She had been forced to carry a large shovel up the sloping hill. And it was getting heavier by the minute. Naru stopped and turned to look at her, he then reached over and lifted the end of the shovel, so that he was carrying one side and Mai the other.

"Now, is this better?' he asked.

Mai blushed and turn away. "Of…course…" she stuttered. What's with him all of a sudden? Being this kind…and helpful…

Though Mai had another burning question to ask, "Naru what were you and Maki talking about just now using the walki talky?" Mai asked, approaching the matter carefully. She didn't want to sound…jealous.

Naru paused and he sighed. "You're really dense Mai," he said, before trudging up the slop again.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!" Mai shouted at Naru. Naru shrugged and Mai had this intense urge to punch the boy hard. Instead she tripped and gave a shriek. When she opens her eyes again she found Naru clasping her tightly. Mai gasped and pushed back blushing furiously.

"Be careful," Naru scolded before dusting himself again and picking up the shovel. 'Come on we got work to do," he said.

"…o…ok…" Mai stuttered and helped Naru with the shovel.

"Why are we going to the grave yard anyway?" Mai asked again 5 minutes later when she had calmed down.

'Mai, what is alpha," Naru said, his voice as calm as ever. Mai thought for a moment before answering. "Alpha, isn't that Greek?" Mai asked. Naru nodded. "Alpha is the starting letter of the Greek Alphabet system. It is used in many ways also, it's the starting for the phonetic code and also can be used to express hidden numbers in mathematics," Naru explained. "Alpha is also the grandfather of the Latin A and Cyllic letter A," he explained some more.

"I don't need to know that," Mai muttered.

"I lie in grave alpha," Naru said, "Is the answer to the immortal stone…well there is only one grave yard here and so that's not a problem…the problem is Alpha."

He then raised his left hand. His second finger was up.

"One?" Mai asked.

"Yes, Mai…in Greek, Alpha also means one," he said.

Something snapped in Mai's mind and she almost tripped again.

"Oh my god…that would mean," she exclaimed.

"Yes, Mai, the immortal stone is in the first grave of the grave yard."

* * *

"Would you explain this to us?" Yasuhara-san asked the village head who winced when he saw what was presented to him. It was the note from the East Far4m Company. He looked up and found one lady, 2 grown man and 4 teenagers looking at him.

"Yes we would be delighted to hear your explanation," Masako's cold scathing voice shocked the elder and he sighed. The villagers behind him had their heads lowered…probably in shame.

"They came a year ago…the company scouts…and when they saw our village they wanted to buy it." The village head said, he looked at the ghost hunt team and Maki and John, before sighing. "The village elder, the one who got killed and beheaded was very stubborn and refused to sell it, I too objected to selling the village…we had a way of life, we refuse to let outsiders come in and ruin it."

"However the company came up with other means and ways to obtain the village…in the end, this village would be theirs in the next three months," the village head said, "The elder was solely devastated…we were going to lose our village, our way of life…" he whispered.

He gulped and the villagers behind him shifted uncomfortably.

"It was 4 months ago when the villager elder came up with the plan…she had decided to act out the curse place upon by the village hundreds of years ago…"

"We planned to carry on the curse to deter the company from taking over our plot of land, from driving us out from our homes…" another village's voice sounded out behind the village head. It belonged to that of a young boy.

"So, let me get this straight, the curse is not real," John Brown from America shouted. The village head shook his head. 'Oh the curse is very real, the Yuki Onna still lives dwelling…but there limits to what the Yuki Onna can do," the village head said.

"Ok, I'm confused, "Ayako moaned clasping her head.

"So let me get this straight, to scare away the company, you acted out the curse set upon your village years ago, you made the bodies disappear by using concentrated acid to dissolve the bodies…then…you killed your village elder…" Maki said.

"No," the village head said horrified. "We did not do that…" he whispered, "We merely wanted to scare the company off by making the bodies disappear however what we didn't know was that the curse…"

"Turn out to be the truth…and acting became real, "Maki said interrupting.

"So, the Yuki Onna really killed…the old elder," Bou-san whispered and the village head nodded.

'After that really horrible things start to happen, like the murders and the fire…I don't know what is going on anymore," the village head said.

"Oh…that," Maki said, her voice was sharp, "You don't need to worry, the fire, and the murders…the flood…was not caused by your beloved Yuki Onna…was not cause by my ancestor…"

She smirked and held up a picture of a man. He was smiling dementedly; there was something about him that sent shivers down the village head spine. He looked at the girl who stuffed the picture back into her pocket.

"His face has changed over the years…and his name has changed too, but I know that smile anywhere," she whispered, 'His name is Norio Genso, the only survivor of the treasure hunter team, everybody meet your assassin."

* * *

"One more time, Naru," Mai shouted and Naru lifted the shovel and it hit the grave. The ground fell apart exposing a large hole. Mai almost clapped her hands in joy. Both of them turned to look deep into the hole. Mai gasped and Naru eyes widened.

"It's…not here…" Mai whispered. The immortal stone wasn't here.

Mai turned to Naru and found his confused expression for the very first time. Naru was…wrong…

* * *

Oh yes, ALPHA has a symbol for it, I suggest you look up the symbol on the web before reading the next chapter. Really, please do so.

Just type in alpha in Wikipedia and you'll get your alpha symbol.


	24. The path to Alpha

Well folks, since this is a trilogy series, well you know the whole nature trilogy series I have decided that the whole Naru and Mai fiasco needed some closure. Well, girls can rejoice. Though, it was a pain in a butt to write. Anyway, here's the chapter and what can I say, but…I lie in grave alpha. hehehehe

The whispering mountain

File 24#

The path to Alpha

"Naru…" Mai called the boy's name. He was sitting on a rock next to the first grave looking at the empty hole. His eyes deep and black. Mai had no idea what the boy was thinking? Was he sad, embarrassed…or just plain irritated?

"Naru," Mai called again and Naru snapped up picking up the shovel and walked down the slope away from the grave yard. "Naru, wait up, slow down," Mai shouted and followed him. He was walking pretty fast and the shovel in his hands bouncing dangerously in his hands.

"Naru!" Mai shouted again and the boy stopped.

"I can't be wrong," he whispered. That was the first sentence that came out of his mouth. Mai raised her eye brow and stopped too, standing beside him. "Huh?" she asked.

'I can't be wrong," he said.

Mai wanted to punch the idiot for making her worry. Instead she took the other end of the shovel and this time lead the stunned Naru down the slope.

"I can't be wrong," Naru whispered again. His voice was still emotionless, irritating, same old Naru, but somewhere Mai detected embarrassment. Mai scratched her head. "Everybody makes mistakes," Mai said, 'You should know that, Kazuya Shibuya."

Naru was silent before he spoke again. "You're not…going to laugh?" he whispered. Mai snapped around and faced him, "What, laugh and mock you, you think I'll do that!" she exclaimed. Naru did not answer.

"Oh my god, you sound like a little child," Mai said, "Do I look like a little child to you. In case you haven't notice I have a brain…and no, I wouldn't laugh at you."

Naru snorted and he walked past Mai, still holding on to the shovel, this time pulling Mai down the slope. "Naru, slow down," Mai said, as Naru moved down the slope at a faster pace than usual. "Where are you going, Naru?"

"To find Maki and ask her to help me," Naru said. He was different from before it would seem he got his confidence back. "Oh, so you're calling her Maki now and not Nishimura-san," Mai muttered, loud enough for Naru to hear. She was jealous…she hated this feeling. This hateful feeling that seemed to dwell deep in heart.

Naru stopped.

"Why did you stop, shouldn't you go and find Maki?" Mai told him, her voice laced with annoyance, irritation and anger.

She hated this hateful feeling. Mai looked up and found Naru looking at her. Still emotionless he dropped the shovel letting Mai bear its whole Mai, Mai stumbled.

"Hey, what's the big ide-"

"You're pretty dense, you know," Naru said.

Before Mai had to react, Naru's arms were around her, hugging her tightly. Mai's eyes widened. Her face flushed red, her heart beat quickened. She dropped the shovel she was holding…

On her feet.

"OWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!" she screamed.

Naru let her go immediately and picked up the shovel before setting her down and looking at her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked, his emotionless face gone, replaced with a concerned one.

"W…wh…what…why…wh…y…" Mai stammered unable to find her words. Naru touched her left foot and she winced. 'You hurt it, stupid," Naru said.

'WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" Mai shouted.

Naru picked her up and carried her. Mai blushed again turning redder by the minute. "Let me go, hey Naru let me go!" she said. Naru however, ignored all her pleas and continued to walk down the slope.

"Let me go!"

"You're hurt!" Naru's harsh voice struck her hard. "Try to think about yourself for once." He scolded her. "Stop trying to safe others…just for once…think about yourself."

Mai was shocked.

Naru continued to walk down the snowy white slope. His face taunt with concentration…and for the first time…

Mai knew.

*

Naru carried the strangely silent Mai into the hut. Shocking Masako who was standing by the door way and John who dropped the cup of coffee he had made for himself.

"Naru, why are you carrying her?" Masako asked him. Naru couldn't be bothered by Masako's bout of interest and scorn for Mai. "John where are the others?" Naru asked the young priest.

"Their all outside talking to the detective…well Maki's the only one speaking though."

"Masako bandages," Naru ordered. Masako placed a sleeve on her nose and she snorted.

"Yes," she said.

*

"We need to ask the villagers to stay in their houses now, we have a killer on the loose and his very dangerous," Maki told the detective who nodded, scratching his head and to her annoyance taking a smoke. "So, what do you plan to do?" the detective asked her and she shrug.

"I plan to find the Immortal stone…Norio Genso would want the stone…that's the only reason why he worked for the East Farm Company anyway…if my suspicions are correct, East Farm Company's presidents frustrated with the delays, hired Norio to kill the village head…however Norio has different plans, he wanted the immortal stone, so he came here."

"Maki…how do you know all that?" John Brown (from America) asked her. He was worried and the other ghost hunt members were looking at her, waiting for answers.

Maki did not answer instead turn to the detective again. "Just do as I say," she said. The detective took another whiff of his smoke. "I never thought…I would ever take orders from a kid…" he said.

"Ok, I'll order my men to capture the President of the East Farm Company and to keep any more villagers from getting assassinated…also; I'll deploy more men to guard the village head."

Maki gave a smirk. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear…now…if we only had a clue to the whereabouts of the Immortal stone."

"Actually…" the man called Bou-san interrupted her. He had a sorry smile on his face, "We already…"

"Found the clue," the tall Chinese man that always hung around Naru spoke. Maki's eyes open.

"What, you found it, where!?" she shouted.

"Calm down," Ayako, the woman said. Maki tried to but she couldn't. "What is the clue?" she asked.

"Yes, please tell her," John Brown shouted at them. The three adults hesitated…the silence long and harsh.

"I lie in grave alpha," the boy with the spectacles spoke.

Maki's eyebrows twitched. "That's it?" she whispered.

"What the *&(!" John whispered.

"Yes, I lie in grave alpha, that's the only clue," Yasuhara-san said again. Maki pulled the goggles over her eyes. "Well, I guess we have to make do with that…where's the first grave in this area?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid it's not there, Nishimura-san," Naru's voice sounded behind them and Maki turned to find the emotionless boy holding up a shovel in his right hand. "I've already tried," he said. Maki bit the top of her lip.

"Then where is it!?" she said, for the very first time losing her cool. It had been so long…and yet now the answer is so close yet so far. "Calm down, Maki, maybe if we ask the village head we might find out what it means," John tried to calm her down. Maki clenched her fist.

"Let's talk back in the hut shall we, standing here in the open makes us open targets," John spoke on her behalf and the rest agreed.

"Calm down, Maki," John Brown said, resting a hand on her shoulder. Maki snorted and pushed his hand off. "I know, idiot," she whispered before trudging after Naru.

*

"Mai what happened to you?" Bou-san asked the girl who was resting on the ground. Her left ankle bandaged up. For some reason the usually energetic girl turned beet red and was very silent.

"Oh my god, who turned Mai into a blushing maiden in distress," Bou-san joked, although at the back of the mind he knew who. Naru that sly bastard.

"Shut up, Bou-san," Ayako retorted and Bou-san sighed standing up. "Well the Calvary is back and so now to discuss the clue, right Naru play boy."

Naru's eye brow twitched and Masako looked ready to kill. Mai however turned a deeper shade of red and this time she looked like a tomato.

'Ok, so here's the clue…I lie in grave Alpha," Yasuhara-san said. Masako nodded, "We found the map in the burning hut and this second map, credit goes to Maki who found it in the underground tunnels."

"We pretty much guessed that this is the main clue and the last clue to the Immortal stone…as Naru explained he had gone to check the first grave of this village…"

"There was nothing there," Naru answered.

There was a tensed silence and Bou-san and the two John's gave a huge sigh.

"What's this?" John Brown said suddenly lifting up a photograph.

"Oh that, I took it in the village head's house…the wood carvings underneath his carpet that looked like fishes…well a simple drawn fish." Mai answered him. Something about it struck Mai and she gasped, only to find John Brown (from America) gasping with her too.

"You thinking what I'm thinking Taniyama-san?" He asked her and she nodded.

"What?" Masako asked the two of them irritated. Naru and Maki glanced at both Mai and John in amazement.

'You solved it?" Maki asked John and he nodded. Naru stared at Mai and she nodded.

'Well yes," John answered Maki.

"Unbelievable," Naru and Maki spoke.

"Hey!" Mai shouted and John slammed the picture on the ground before getting a black marker and drawing something on it.

"Naru you said that Alpha could represent many things, right," Mai explained and Naru nodded. It was almost weird; it was as if their roles were reversed. Mai couldn't help but feel slightly proud. "However Alpha is the Greek letter…and the symbol for the Alpha looks like…"

"That of a fish," John said, "Well a simple drawn fish…"

He lifted the photograph and there beside the fish wood carvings on the ground was John's black marking. The black marking was the symbol of Alpha. Maki and Naru gasped at the same time. Yasuhara stood up and Masako placed a sleeve over her mouth. Lin gave a tiny smile and John the priest clapped his hands together.

Ayako was the first to speak.

'The markings on the floor!" she shouted.

"They're not fish wood carvings," Mai said.

"Their alpha…" John continued.

"I lie in grave alpha," Maki whispered. Naru nodded.

"Well then…" Bou-san said grabbing a shovel, "What are we waiting for!"

* * *

"It would seem they found it," the man whispered. He smirked; stepped on the cigarette butt he had just thrown on the floor and raised his rifle. He pointed it at the first person who exited the hut. He started to giggle.

"Yuko…Harada…no, Maki Nishimura…" he whispered, "I have come to play again."

Behind the rifle was no man other than…Norio Genso.

* * *

Ok, if ur still confused, go to Wikipedia and look at the alpha symbol, than picture this a little kid drawing a fish, you know the simple kind you draw to represent a fish, don't they look familiar *Smirks*

Next chapter, 3 words, prepare for action


	25. Past and Present

Nature Trilogy Series

**The forbidden forest-Finished**

**The vanishing fog-Finished**

The whispering Mountain-Ongoing

Folks, who have reviewed or who have read my story and liked it. Thanks for your support. You have encouraged me to write these fan fictions and I appreciate that. Thank you for all your reviews.

I would like to thank my mother, my dad and my sister for helping me along the way!

God I sound like some Grammy Award idiot.

Ok, I'm going to be done with me Nature Trilogy series, pls wait for the ending of the whispering mountain...I think girls are going to love it and i would have to write it. Sigh

And yep, once I'm done with this series you can expect another trilogy series coming out from me. Those who wanna know what it is about, solve this code and I'll show it to you. Ehehehehe, evil am I.

So here's the code.

GHOST HUNT NEXT SERIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN

**0alphaº betabeta'N, Alpha0Gammaº DeltaEta'E**

Oh here's a clue, you would really need your world atlas.

Well folks who can solve this, good for you, you got an answer of me next _TR_**I**_LOGY_ _SERIES A_**N**_D _**T**_H_**E **_STO_**R**_Y_ _WILL BE MUCH BETTER_. **N**_O_ _MORE PL_**A**_YING AROUND FOLKS, I'M GOING TO MAKE THE NEX_**T **_TR_**I**_L_**O**_GY TEN TIMES BETTER THAN THE_ **N**_ATURE SERIES_…**A**_ND SCARIER AND_…_WE_**L**_L_ _I WILL IMPROVE ON ME GRAMMAR._

Ehehehehe, pls, get the clue will you.

Ghost hunt will be going (***********) fill in the blank

And now, for the story

The whispering mountain

File 25#

Past and Present

_**Her parents were always laughing. No matter where they were, they always had smiles on their faces. Somehow it kept her calm and collected. Her parent's laughter and smiles comforted her. She was only 11 when it happened.**_

_**Her parents were Mr Takashi Harada and Miss Yuki Harada. Both were aspiring archaeologist. They were 25 when they met. Takashi Harada fell in love with his wife at first sight, later on it would be a game of chase and tag…but he finally got her.**_

_**They had a child 3 years later, they named her**_

_**Yuko Harada.**_

"To save the village I would let you do anything," the village head told the ghost hunt team. Bou-san smiled and Mai clasped her hands tightly together as Naru entered the village hut along with Maki and John Brown. Ayako, Masako, John and Mai had to wait outside. Naru said it wouldn't do any of them any good if all of them entered the hut at the same time.

Lin was nowhere to be seen.

John (from America) watches Maki carefully. Her eyes hidden behind goggles made it impossible to figure out her feelings but John knew that this was the biggest turning point in Maki's life. He knew it…somehow.

It was the monk who raised the carpet and the boy, who was like Maki who crashed the floor boards of the village head's hut with the floor board. Each thump the boy gave to the floor boards Maki would tremble a little.

John could feel her excitement and her relief. Finally, her parents, and her grandparents work would not be in vain. Finally she could rid herself from the curse of the Immortal stone. Yuki Onna her ancestor had pushed her into this, stolen the stone from the Phoenix and now hundred or maybe thousands of years later, the stone will once again be returned.

John could feel all of her emotions boiling in her little body and he couldn't help but feel excited for her. A small smile broke out from his lips and he leaned forward when Naru raised the shovel one more time. Sweat was dripping off his fore head. John couldn't help but feel jealous. This boy was handsome, stoic and cool; no wonder Maki would like him…

Suddenly, John felt something slip into his hand and he looked down, Maki was holding his hand tightly, she was really tense. John looked up and a wide smile spreads across his lips. Well whatever…

Naru raised the shovel and sent in crashing down for the last time, the floor boards gave way and dust erupted upwards. Maki's hand tightened around John's and he followed her as she pulled him towards the hole.

Naru placed the shovel on the ground. Bou-san pumped his fist into the air. The village head gasped loudly. Maki fell to her knees and she reached into the hole. What she pulled out made Naru's eyes widened in surprise. It was a dull red stone. It was so ordinary that you wouldn't pay twice to look at it. That was the immortal stone? John couldn't help but feel disappointment too…however…Maki clasped it tightly in her palms and for the first time a small real smile flittered to her lips.

"Maki…" John whispered entranced. Maki pulled the stone closer to her.

"It's real," she whispered and Naru nodded. Bou-san sighed in relief.

"Well, isn't it?" a cold hard voice sounded behind them. All 4 turned to look. The village head shrieked and leaned back against the wall. Maki's eyes widened and flashed in anger. 'You-"she shouted and was interrupted.

"Norio Genso, entering the house."

* * *

"Masako…Masako hang in there," Mai screamed to the kimono wearing girl who was lying on the ground blood gushing out from her arm. Mai peeled off part of her jacket and tied it tightly around Masako's left arm.

Norio had shot twice from the trees. Masako had pushed Mai away. The bullet missed Mai's head but it did not missed Masako's arm. John was now beside Masako comforting the shaken girl. Ayako had run to call the detective.

Mai looked at the inside of the hut, the doors now closed.

Norio was fast; he had come out of now where and fired two shots from his rifle like a professional. Mai stood up and winced, her injured ankle crying out in pain.

"Naru," she whispered. The boy who…was inside. Mai wanted to cry but she shook her head, if she cried now no one could help Naru. Mai knew she had to do something, something fast, and more unpredictable… she looked around and then she found it. Mai stumbled over to the stash of wood and she smiled.

* * *

"**Mom…Dad," was Yuko Harada's first words when she entered the blood stained room. The walls were painted in red blood, all 4 sides of them. The floor splashed with her parent's blood. On the ground were the bodies of her parents, each stacked on top of one another, a long spear emerging from their chest.**

**Yuko fell back on the bloody ground. Her dress soaking up all the blood. "Dad…Mom…" she whispered. **

"**Y…Yuko…run…" her father could only manage to say before slumping. He was dead and Yuko knew it. Tears began to flow and a loud scream of sorrow escaped her lips.**

"**Mom…no, you can't die, Dad…no!" she screamed. Her words fell on death ears. Her parents were dead…dead as door nails. They weren't smiling like they use to. They weren't smiling for her to see. "What about the stone, the immortal stone, Dad you promised to find it!" Yuko shouted shaking her father. Blood spurted out of his chest and splashed across Yuko's face. Yuko fell back, rubbing it off frantically and crying. Her tears blurring everything in sight.**

"**No," she whispered, "NO!"**

**Her parents were always smiling…even when times got tough and when people tried to cheat them. When the Immortal stone clues were vague and lost her parents were always smiling. They were her light, her supporter. They were always there for her, when she was sad; when she was happy…they can't just leave so suddenly.**

"**Yu-ko," a cold voice broke through her thoughts. The girl of eleven looked up and found a man 5 feet high looking at her with a sneering face. An evil smile was plastered on his face. Yuko stared at him, somehow she was afraid, very afraid. **

**The man walked over to her dead parents and started to step on them. Her parent's bodies were being impaled even more by the spears stuck to their chest. The man continued laughing madly. Yuko screamed and stood up and with all the strength she could muster ran towards the man and pushed him. The man didn't even budge he just simply stared at Yuko with a demented smile and he grabs her neck. Yuko cried out and a whimper came out.**

**He squeezed and Yuko choked. Tears flowed down her eyes. "Let…me…go…" she muttered. **

"**Petrified?" he asked her with a cool voice, "Are you petrified Yuko?"**

**He slammed her on the ground and she gasped, feeling pain wrecking her sides. **

"**The world is spinning Yuko, time is moving on, I am aging, I need the stone," he whispered, 'Do you know where it is Yuko?'**

"**Stop calling my name!?" Yuko screamed. Only her parents called her Yuko no one else was suppose to call her that. The man started to laugh and he pulled out a long knife. Yuko shifted backwards, sliding on the bloody floor as he moved towards her.**

**Suddenly he strike and Yuko gasped feeling something sticking into her left shoulder. She screamed as pain wrecked her. Norio Genso placed his face near hers. He dug the knife deeper. "Yu-ko," he whispered, "Tell me where the stone is?"**

"**Stop…STOP!" Yuko screamed. The man stood up and kicked the knife deeper into Yuko's shoulder. She screamed the pain unbearable. "Everyone wants to live! There is no time! Give me the stone!" he shouted then he stopped and bent down again.**

"**I'll let you live," he whispered, "You owe me your life."**

"**And when the time comes…you-must-give-me-the-stone…"**

"**Let her go…" a weak voice came out from her mother's body and Yuko almost cry out in joy. Norio Genso smile disappeared and from his pocket he pulled out his gun.**

"**NO! Don't!" Yuko screamed. Norio laughed and her mother closed her eyes.**

**He pulled the trigger.**

* * *

'So where's the stone?" Norio, the man from 6 years ago asked her. Maki hid the stone in her chest pocket and she smirked. "Nowhere,' she said. The man raised his rifle, still smiling. He pointed it at the village head who was cowering at his feet.

"Give it to me," he said.

Maki looked at the rifle, it was long and it probably was heavy, but Norio was holding it like a pistol. He was dangerous. She couldn't win him with strength alone. Her hand instinctively reached out to touch her left shoulder…no she couldn't win him with strength alone.

'Give me the stone!" Norio shouted and he pulled the trigger. There was a loud explosion and John screamed. Bou-san moved away from the spot and Naru looked ready to launch. Maki tensed. The memory of the gun shot ringing in her mind, she couldn't help but shiver. There on the ground laid the dead village head. His head looking pretty mangled up, a bullet lodge deep into his brain. Blood was staining the carpet.

Norio raised the rifle this time aiming it at Bou-san.

"Hurry up, Maki, the clock is ticking, tick tock," he said.

His voice still as vile as ever.

Maki tensed before reaching into her chest pocket and pulling out a stone. It wasn't the immortal stone just some random stone she had picked up from the ground.

"You want it so much," she said and Norio's eyes brightened with greed. Maki threw the stone and Norio dropped the gun reaching out to grab the stone Maki had just thrown. Maki made use of the time, she ran and pick up the gun. Norio caught the stone and turned around realizing his mistake. Maki raised the gun and pointed it at him.

Norio froze and roared at her.

"Maki!" John shouted at her. Maki felt the gun in her two hands. It was heavy, but Maki manage to lift it up and rest it on her left shoulder. She felt her middle finger meeting the trigger and she stared at the man who had killed everything she had loved…and taken away countless people's life. She hated him.

"Kill him," a voice whispered into her mind. Maki trembled, her anger boiling deep within. He had taunted her, he had given her a scar, and he had killed her parents. He had chased her down, he had taken countless innocent life…he said she owed him.

She owed him nothing.

"Bullshit," she whispered. Norio tensed and took a step forward. Maki shot at the ground, and Norio leapt back. The bullet penetrated the floor boards and sent wood dust rising towards the ceiling.

"KILL HIM!" the voice in her head screamed at her and Maki raised the rifle. She pulled the trigger. The sound was defeating.

* * *

Mai felt her heart beat fasted when she heard gun shots; she was so worried that she couldn't even think properly. Mai pulled the wood that she had found onto the porch of the hut. She had already gathered a pile there.

Her ankle hurt and her head was throbbing. Her shoulders ached but Mai knew that if she succeeds she might be able to save Naru…and the others. Mai heard another gunshot and heard something collapsed on the ground.

"No," she whispered, she hurriedly reached into her pockets and pulled out match sticks, she then reached out beside her and pulled a gasoline bottle to her side. She poured the contents over the wood and then she lit the match stick.

It was now or never…

Mai threw the burning match stick into the pile of wood.

Fire erupted almost immediately black smoke sliding into the inside of the house. Mai stood up and she ran down the porch to the back of the hut and using a stone she had picked up from the ground before threw it on the glass window. The glass window shattered into a million pieces.

Then she saw him…Naru…

He was alive. Mai almost collapsed in relief. "FIRE!" she screamed using the loudest voice she could muster, "Everybody get out!"

* * *

"Maki, Don't shoot!' John shouted at the girl who he didn't recognize anymore. She had shot, fired the rifle, however Norio had dodge and was now slumped on the main door. Smoke was coming in and John could smell burning.

Mai had created a diversion, smoke was going to engulf the house allowing for Maki, John, Bou-san and Naru who were near the window to escape leaving Norio behind…however, Maki had a gun and she didn't seem intent on leaving Norio alive.

"We need to go now!" Bou-san shouted at Maki. Naru was silent, he looked ready to pounce.

"NO!' Maki screamed she pointed the rifle at Norio who was now cowering in fear. "No, I don't want to die," he whimpered. Maki snorted, 'Did you give my parents a chance!" she shouted. The man shook his head and Maki trembled some more.

"MAKI, don't do it!" John screamed. Maki did not seem to have heard him. she was going to pull the trigger again and this time he knows that it would not miss. She was going to kill. She was going to be like that man.

"No," he whispered. Desperate he ignored the cries Bou-san gave him as he launches himself forward. He had to make her feel, feel again. He went through all the black smoke and burning sting caused by the fire and grabs Maki from behind. He hugged her tightly placing one hand on her eyes and pulling the rifle upwards so that it faced the ceiling.

"Maki, Maki! Wake up…You don't want to be like him!" he shouted at her. Maki struggled and John found that the hand covering her eyes was wet. She was crying. John gripped onto the struggling girl tighter until she was struggling no more.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered and he felt Maki relax, he smiled.

"John look out!" Naru's voice sounded. John turned just in time to see a fist coming straight for him. He cried out and felt Norio's fist connect with his chin. He flew back with Maki. Maki landing on top of him. He moaned, seeing stars. Then he turned to see Norio's demented smile on his lips. He had a rifle in his hand again and this time he was aiming it at Maki.

"No!" John cried out. The man pulled the trigger. Maki tensed and she fell slump on John's body. Lifeless.

"Maki…"

John whispered, shaking the body, "MAKI!" he screamed.

"Why you!" Bou-san shouted and ran towards Norio. Norio fired again and Bou-san fell backwards, screaming in pain. His shoulder was bleeding. Norio took aim next and aimed at Naru who stood there unmoving.

"HAhahahahah!" he laughed and pulled the trigger.

"You're not very bright," Naru whispered.

John gasped as Naru exploded into flames, he was engulfed in a red light and the bullet bent backwards hitting the wall behind Norio who gasped and fired again. The bullet was deflected again and the main doors of the hut burst open.

Black smoke rushed in very quickly and Naru went through the smoke without any difficulty.

Outside Mai was watching this all in horror. He was using his powers again; Naru was using his powers again!

"Naru!"


	26. The phoenix

Ok FOLKS, 2ND LAST CHAPTER, AS PROMISED. I have lots of homework too do, sorry for updating late. U may bash me for all you like…but please, after you read this chapter :D

The whispering mountain

File 26#

The phoenix

Norio Gensou had never felt such horror in his life before. The boy in front was engulfed in a bright orange light that seemed to burn his very soul. It was terrifying to look at. Those flames that looked like hell itself.

"Who are you?" Norio screamed at the boy.

The boy grabs Norio by the head and squeezed hard, images flooded Norio's mind. Songs played in his head over and over again.

The sound of cicadas rang in and out, Norio screamed. A woman was waving at him from the other side of a red gate. "You have caused pain, Norio," the boy's voice rang out. Norio shuddered, his mouth opened, his lips quivering.

"Ah…AHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…………"

"_**You're a loser Norio," the old man with the twisted grin told the small boy. The small boy was scarred, his hands covered in ugly bruises, his neck covered in rope like scars. His eyes were dead.**_

"_**Do you know why you're a loser, Norio?" the man asked the boy cruelly. "Because you were born from that woman!"**_

_**The man spoke with hatred. The woman was gone. The boy knew she was gone. The man had dealt with her a few moments before. Her lone shape could be seen hanging from her ceiling. Her eyes wide open staring at the boy; saliva was dripping from her open suffocating mouth. She had been crying, but the tears had dried up leaving marks on her cold paled skin.**_

_**The boy felt like laughing. This woman was pathetic…**_

_**The man approached the boy, in his hand a wine bottle that the boy had often saw.**_

"_**Angels and Devils," the boy whispered, reading the title of the wine bottle, "They do not exist." He whispered.**_

_**The boy laughed as the man swung the wine bottle down at him.**_

"_**You're a loser BOY!"**_

"_**SHUT UP!" the boy shouted, grabbing his dad by the stomach and pushing him down. Picking up a wooden chair from a corner, he banged it down repeatedly on the man's head.**_

"_**Hahahahahahahahaha…" he laughed, every time the chair hits head, it made a fun squishing sound, blood splattered over the boy's body. Across his face, across his legs and across his arms. **_

"_**Give it back," he whispered to the man ones he was done. The man's meshed up face, was like a night mare. Brains spilled from his damaged skull. His lips were in spirals and his eyes no more that flattened balls.**_

"_**Give me back my life…" he whispered.**_

_**The man did not answer simply stared back at the boy, with flattened eyes full of hate and scorn.**_

"_**Don't look at me…" the boy whispered, "Don't look at me like that!" he whispered.**_

"_**I am not wrong! You made me do it, YOU MADE ME DO IT!" he screams at both the man and woman. The boy picked up the wine bottle and crashed it on the ground; taking the sharp edge he stabbed the bottle into the man and woman several times.**_

_**Tears leaked down from his bloodied face an insane glint started to form in his eyes.**_

"_**There is no good…or evil…in this world," he whispered once he was done.**_

_**The title of the wine bottle staring up at him; "Angels and Devils."**_

**He had seen their faces. The faces of those he had killed. The sacrificial lambs. The ones who would grant him the life he had lost. Pitiful faces, faces pathetic…just like the woman who hung from the ceiling…just like his mother.**

The woman in between the red gate was calling to him, waving her hands, touching him, pulling him over. Norio screamed as the Naru squeezed harder, the red glow surrounding the boy getting hotter and hotter. "No, no NO!" he shouted.

"You who feel no pain," the boy whispered, "I shall grant you internal hell that is my power."

**The red gate was getting closer, it was burning up in blue flames. The woman with the demented smile looked at him with a glint in her eye. "Come closer Norio, come closer," she whispered. Soon the woman multiplied, there were people standing next to her, many many people with bullet holes in their heads and their chest. With knives sticking out from their necks, with ropes hanging from their necks. People that he killed.**

"**Get away! Get away!" Norio screamed, "You are all lambs! I am not evil! Get away from me!" he shouted.**

"The problem is…you are evil." The woman said, Norio shuddered, raising the gun still in his hands and pointing it at Naru whose red flames was beginning to vanish.

"Shut up…" he whispered, smirking and pulling the trigger.

It happened in seconds. As Norio fired Mai had ran forward with all the strength she got. She knew Naru wouldn't be able to deflect the bullet that Norio had fired this time. He had used too much power, been reckless again and used his powers again.

Mai pushed him away as the bullet went ripping past her stomach. The blow hurt, like fire burning the insides of her body. She fell to the ground gasping in pain. The shock made her shiver. Norio went over to her, the gun still in his hand he was shouting something.

Something Mai couldn't comprehend.

"Mai!" she heard Naru scream.

Mai felt like laughing…why was it always like this, why did she always end up hurt! Dammit Naru, Dammit stupid…Shibuya Kazuya…

Norio approached her, whispering again, words she cannot hear. Naru's voice was ringing in her ears silently.

"Mai…Mai…Mai…"

Mai smiled and closed her eyes.

There was a loud bang; rippling through every sound Mai could hear that utter darkness.

"Mai, Mai," the voice called to her. Mai opened her eyes and found herself facing a warm bright orange light.

'Mai," the voice sounded again and Mai turned, her eyes widened and standing in between her and the orange light was Naru himself. Except this Naru was smiling.

"Naru," Mai whispered. Naru smiled raising his right hand and float towards her. He reached out to her and hugged her tightly.

"Am I dead…Naru?" she whispered. Naru looked over to her.

"Do you wish to be dead?" he asked. Mai shook her head. Naru smiled, "That's my girl," he whispered. Naru pointed towards the orange light that was warm and comforting. It had a lively demure about it, warmth that Mai couldn't explain. She didn't know why but she started to cry.

"It's a gentle light," she whispered.

Naru smiled, "It has been sleeping Mai for many years."

Naru clicked his fingers and the orange light disappeared, what replaced it was a boy…a boy that looked very much like Norio Gensou, locked deep in darkness covered in injuries, crying silently. Mai winced as the darkness around the boy edge closer before swallowing him up.

"He knows nothing about life Mai," Naru whispered, "And because he knows nothing about it, he knows not to cherish it."

The scene of the boy disappeared, replaced with a scene of a girl.

A girl covered in blood, her parents mangled body in front of her.

'Maki," Mai whispered.

The scene was replaced with another girl, a girl who sat at a funeral, her mother's ash sitting in a pot in front of her.

"That's me," Mai whispered.

"That is right," Naru whispered, "Only those who have seen a death of a love one can fully understand the true meaning of life."

"Eternal life would grant you nothing," Mai whispered. Suddenly understanding the true meaning of John Brown's (from Australia, chapter 4, last part) words.

"Yes," Naru said.

Naru clicked his fingers again and the orange glow that Mai had seen earlier appeared again. This time Mai knew what it is.

"Nobody know what life is Mai, however, if we learn to love, if we learn to understand that we are love, I think life is just that."

Mai remembered Naru, the narracist, the one with the cold words, the one who mocked her, the one who saved her, the one who gave her a job, a family, the one who told her he loved…her…

"I think…" Mai said, "I can understand."

"Are you ready Mai?" Naru asked.

Mai nodded, "I won't die…yet," she said. Naru smiled and patted her head.

Mai walked towards the bright orange light and engulfed with all her heart.

She had learnt to hate the phoenix. The phoenix that had ruined her family's life from generations. They had died trying to find the stone, died because Yuki Onna their ancestor had placed them in a curse. Demons, sprits, ghosts were hateful creatures.

They had taken away her mother, her father, her grandparents, her family.

And now…her life.

Yuko Harada had always hated the Phoenix. The bird of life, had given her nothing at all, only a curse that would last for generations to come. A curse that would never stop.

Hate, she hated it…it was wrong to hate, she knew it was wrong to hate, but still she hated…she hated everything.

It hurts…it bloody hurts.

"Maki! Maki!" a voice shouted to her from within the darkness. Maki opened her eyes and found a very teary eyed John looking down at her. That egoistical boy was hugging her tightly and tears from his eyes were leaking down from his face.

"Am I still alive?" she whispered, shocked.

The boy nodded and hugged her tighter, "Thank God, Thank God!" he exclaimed. Maki found that she was out of the burning house. The monk called Bou-san injured in the arm lying beside her.

'What happened?" she whispered.

She was sure she was shot. She remembered the gun shot in the burning house…the house Mai had burnt in order to save them.

Maki reach out to her chest instinctively. Her hands rubbing it up and down…not a mark, not a drop of blood. Suddenly, her hand brushed against something, small, round and hard. Maki's eyes widened as she pulled out a cracked red dirtied stone. It was glowing and vibrating a soft red glow. A bullet sticking in its middle center.

"The immortal stone…" she whispered.

"Maki?" John whispered shocked as tears rolled down the girl's eyes.

"Why…did it save me?" she whispered. The stone glowed softly, warm and bright. "I hated it…I hated it with all my might…and yet why did it save me?"

"Because you looked for it…with good intentions," a voice that sounded very much like Mai's answered. Maki gasped as Mai reached out and grab the cracked stone from her. Maki looked up and found the girl's eyes a bright red. A soft golden light was radiating from within the girl.

"Leave it all to me, child," Mai whispered.

"Jealous girl?" Maki whispered.

"No…" John whispered, "It's the Phoenix."

_It has been alive for how long it does not know? All it knows that it has slept in a deep slumber for thousands of life, overlooking humans as they had gone about in their daily lives._

_And now here it was standing over a man named Norio Gensou. _

_The girl it was possessing hated the man, it was a cold dark hatred, a hatred it had known for many years. Except this hatred was different, the girl was trying to understand the man. She was trying very hard to do so._

_Norio Gensou raised his arms again, raising the deadly weapon and preparing to shoot._

"_Stop!" a boy with a handsome face and sleek black hair shouted standing up to overwhelm the man despite his weak body. The boy loved the girl…and the girl loved the boy. That much it understood._

_Norio Gensou struggled with the boy trying to push the boy away. _

_It made its move._

_Walking swiftly forward, it embraced the man, hugging the man tightly. The heat it gave out melts the gun immediately, turning it into pure gold that fell to the ground._

_Images of the man's life flashed through its head and its winced. The man was cruel in all nature… but the man also lacked something._

"_Love," the girl it possessed whispered._

_It then understood._

_The reason why it had stayed with humans, watched over them…despite all the cruel things was because of one thing…_

_Norio Gensou screamed as the fires from the Phoenix melted his body away. The warmth filling up his body, the warmth washing away all the pain, fears he had._

_Slowly he was engulfed in the warm fires…melting away, a small smile fitted into his lips._

Sigh, why does my action scenes always end with Mai getting injured and Naru using his power. I need to be more creative. This chapter was kind of stupid, hope u don't find it stupid and move on to the last chapter that would put a finale on this nature series…

Then I'll write another trilogy

:D


	27. Forever

Ok, guys here's the last chapter…and well I have something I've got to admit. Being a person who hates romance and well has no and well, do not wish to have romantic experience before, most of my knowledge of romantic experience come from anime in which some…I must say, do not seem realistic at all. I mean come on, look at inuyasha, the last part was just a bloody fluke. Kagome shouting in the black darkness, then inuyasha appears and kiss her, I fail to see the romantic thing in that.

Therefore, because I have to end this chapter…in a romantic way because I see no other way to do so. I mean well Naru and Mai, yeah yeah, yadda yadda, they have to be together, no shit, but I suck at writing romance, so I was putting this last 2 chapters off.

But finally after watching a day and a half of love hina and doing shit homework I've decided to write the last chapter of ghost hunt and phew after approximately 12 hours I have managed to finish two chapters of ghost hunt.

Ok, so enough of my rambling, this is the final chapter of my nature trilogy series, hopes it does my story justice and well, I shall continue to write.

Too loos.

The whispering mountain

File 27#

Forever

"I do wonder…why do we always get hurt," Bou-san muttered. Ayako snorted at Bou-san and slapped his head. He winced as the slap caused his injured arm to move.

"Just be glad you're condition was not as bad as Mai's," Ayako said. Masako beside Mai was standing beside Mai's bed, stroking the girl's red hair.

"It would seem Masako does have a soft side," Bou-san whispered to Ayako who sniggered, "And she wouldn't admit it."

"Yeah she reminds me of an anime character," Mai's voice said suddenly. Bou-san and Ayako rushed towards the girl who lay in bed, smiling. 'A tsundere," she said pointing at Masako, who frowned,

"Will you shut up?" she told Mai who grinned before wincing touching her stomach.

'What happened?" Mai asked.

Bou-san shrugged, "A lot while you were sleeping, Norio Gensou has disappeared without a trace, apparently the police had been trying to track down that man for years…East Farm Company would be prosecuted and will the village would be saved…Lin and Yasuhara-san were the ones who called the police, the detective went to action immediately."

Mai grinned, "Norio's in a good place now," she whispered.

"What in heaven's name are you talking about?" Ayako said and Masako nodded.

Mai shook her head, "You wouldn't understand," she said. Ayako raised her eye brows in irritation.

The doors of the hospital ward opened quietly and in strode Maki…or rather Yuko Harada and the cocky John Brown from America.

"So how are you feeling beautiful girl?" John cocky flirty voice rang around the room. Maki stepped on his feet in irritation and he winced, crying out.

"Are you feeling fine?" she asked Mai, her voice was as calm and collected as ever, but somehow filled with gentleness. Mai smiled and took Maki's hands in hers and squeezed them. Maki smiled a real smile for the first time, it was so small it could be mistaken for a frown, but it indeed was a smile.

Mai blushed and Maki's smile disappeared, "Well, since you're alright, I shall take my leave…"

A smirk passed her lips, "And well, hope we meet again."

Masako snorted when Maki and John left, "Didn't even bother to say thanks, that arrogant girl," she said. Mai waved Masako off and stretched, "It's a good day."

"She saved you didn't she," John asked Maki who nodded. He smiled and walked beside her. The sun flittered in through the windows shining on both of them. John's heart quicken a bit when he saw a small gentle smile on Maki's lips.

He had tried this many times, and so far it had never worked…but today he had a feeling that…

John slipped his hands into Maki's one. He squeezes her right hand and smiled.

This time she did not let go

***************************************************************************************************** (god this is so cheesy, I'm actually melting)**********************************

_On 30__th__ May 2010 yesterday the leader of Company East Farm has been arrested for suspicions of hiring assassins to terrorize a village in a small remote place. The leader is said to be going on trail and if found guilty would face a death sentence. _

_If you have any information regarding the case please call 99908._

John Brown and Lin-san visited in the evening, Naru never came and Mai waited till night befell before getting out of the bed. She couldn't contain herself. From the information she gathered, Naru was placed in a ward on the 3rd floor on the west side, room 231.

Now why did Lin give Mai so much information was a big mystery. However, that didn't matter to Mai; all she wanted to do was see Naru. She stumbled a little, grabbing her injured stomach but steadies herself.

She stood up straight, smiling. The pain was still there but it was a soft throbbing. She walked out of the room and practically ran towards the lifts.

She by passed a few nurses along the way, hiding in between walls before finally reaching the lifts. She touched the down button and waited. There was a ding sound and Mai felt her heart could explode from excitement.

As the lift opened she walked in, banging into somebody.

"Ouch," the person said. His voice sounding slightly familiar. Mai looked up and blushed. The boy gazed down at her with cold eyes.

"Mai, you're thick bull headed head has almost made a dent in my chest," he said. The excitement in Mai drain immediately replaced with irritated anger.

"Is that all you can say you tea headed bastard!" she shouted. Naru placed a hand over her lips and placed the close button on the side of the lift as a nurse passed by. The lift shut and began to move downwards towards the 3rd floor.

"Well I can see you're alright," Naru spoke finally. Mai snorted, "I have always been alright…because of your stupid power I have always gotten hurt."

"For that…I'm sorry," he said. His voice turning gentle and Mai tensed suddenly realizing that she was still leaning on him and he was holding her.

She blushed and tried to look up but Naru squeezed her tighter.

"Thank god," he whispered.

There was gentleness in his voice that reminded her of the Naru in her dreams. Mai felt a deep blush surfacing from within her.

"You're still alive…" Naru continued.

This time Mai struggled free of his grip and looked at him and too her horror found that he was blushing, a deep bright red.

He turned away from her, his left hand cupping his fist as Mai started to laugh.

"Hahahaha, Naru," she said.

"Shut up," Naru said, starting to sound like Masako in certain ways than one.

Mai smiled the anger from just now evaporating. She grabs Naru by the arm and pulled him close to her. He turned and his lips met hers. There was a long pause before they separated slowly.

"As usual as rough as ever," Naru commented.

Mai smiled, sticking out a tongue.

It was another day, three months after the incident. Naru was sitting comfortably in his chair. Maki and John had just visited and left, Masako, John, Lin and Ayako all had something they needed to do. Yasuhara-san was back in university and all was quiet in the little office.

"I'm bored," Mai moaned and glanced at the ever quiet Naru who was sitting by the corner reading a rather thick book.

That unromantic bastard, even since the confession he had done nothing else…but…

"If you're that bored why don't you make me a cup of tea," he said. Mai clenched her fist.

That stupid tea drinking bastard…even after all that he still treats her as a servant.

"Mai, tea," Naru snapped. Mai reached into the closet and pulled out the tin of tea leaves. "Yes, yes, you idiot," she whispered.

I hope his bladder burst, she thought to herself.

Once she was done with the tea she brought it to Naru who accepted it and drank it. He them closed his book gently getting up.

"Let's go to the park now," he said.

Mai almost dropped the empty tea cup Naru was drinking from.

She smiled, "You mean a date?"

Naru tensed.

"I said we're going to the park," he said more fiercely and Mai chuckled.

"And today's tea was just as bad," he added.

Mai clenched the empty tea cup.

That tea drinking bastard!


	28. Afterword

GHOST HUNT FAN FIC DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. I SIMPLY WRITE FOR THE SAKE OF WRITING. IF I OWNED GHOST HUNT PEOPLE WOULD CRY FROM THE TERROR AND THE LACK OF ROMANCE.

Ok so after one year of writing, this tired author has finally written the nature trilogy series finish. It was a long journey and this idiot would never finish the series if it weren't for supporting reviewers who reviewed my story and gave me the courage to put my hand on the key board.

Also, thanks to all the people who have read my story, seeing the counter going up to 11,000+ actually made my head explode into tiny little pieces of happiness.

The themes of the stories were all thought up by my over imaginative head. I just happened to be watching ghost hunt at night when I heard a voice behind me, it was a very scary experience and it gave me a brilliant idea for the story. (Turns out the voice was my sister)

The forbidden forest focuses on devils in human heart

The vanishing fog focuses on revenge

And well the whispering mountain focuses on love

I hope I managed to convey me messages well…actually I don't think I did but …as long as it's scary :D

Well, this is the final end of the trilogy series.

And note to future writers planning to write a ghost hunt fan fic-

Never ever write a ghost hunt fan fic( if you're planning to make it scary) while listening to ghost hunt sound track.

Never

Ok, I'm done with my message.

My next story will be updated soon, or shall I say very soon and then again, thanks, good luck on life, we shall meet again.

_Stupid movie line._


End file.
